Raising Emotionally Healthy Children

As moms we are often concerned about what our children eat, vaccines, and medicines. We want to make sure our children use products that won’t cause cancer, and learn how to keep themselves alive. I personally believe that emotional health is just as important.

Over the years there has been a shift in the way our society looks at children. We have moved from a culture of children who were “seen but not heard” to a generation that now demands our attention and respect.

I think we need a healthy balance. Children need to learn from their parents that they are indeed people, not just little beings created for the parents enjoyment or domination, but also the importance of authority.

I think as a parent it is easy to forget that our children are pint sized people. They should have the right to be heard by their parents, and we should want to show they that what they have going on is important to us. It is so important to take the time to watch your child beat the video game level, or listen while they share what happened at school. If we push them away when they are young because what they have to say isn’t interesting (and sometimes it’s not) we can’t expect them to share with us when they are older.  Listening to your children, and caring about what matters to them is life changing in a parent child relationship.

On the other side of that, we have to make sure that at the end of the day they understand the importance and reason for authority. We are the highest authority for some time and it is imperative that children learn to respect their parents, so they can then respect their teachers, government, and laws in general. After all, authority is what will keep them safe.

Raising an emotional healthy child requires a fine balance between love and discipline, but it can be done, and when done right amazing and powerful adults are the end result.

Children’s health is at the top of every mother’s mind. What’s your favorite tip for raising a healthy baby? By replying, you will be entered to win an exclusive Million Moms Challenge Gift Pack, which includes an iPad2, a custom-made Million Moms Challenge pendant and a $50 donation in your name to Global Giving.

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This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Million Moms Challenge. The opinions and text are all mine. Contest runs November 14 to December 18, 2011. A random winner will be announced by December 20, 2011.

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