Say Yes to Respect!
Hi there,
One life taken is too many. One life spared helps many.
I don’t want to have a conversation after something potentially traumatic happens. I’d rather conversate now and “nip things in the bud,” one of the life principles my mother taught me. I started talking to my children about love, privacy, and self-respect during infancy. Although I knew my babies couldn’t articulate what they heard, I knew their hearts and minds received my heart-inspired messages.
Bullying has so many factors involved. We must address the foundation of the people being bullied and those who project their pain on others. Guardians, parents, school administrators, teachers, coaches, and others must be aware of bullying-type behavior and address it accordingly, even if it means unveiling unhealthy behavior in homes, schools, and other establishments.
Here are five interventions I continue to do within my family.
- Cultivate communication within my family. Everything starts within the home, especially when children find their voices. The more we realize this, the more accountable we hold ourselves to our children’s behavior and increase responsibility in addressing unhealthy actions. A child’s issue is a family’s issue.
- Ask my children child about the day’s events. I ask questions such as: What happened today? Did you hear or see anything troublesome (cursing, inappropriate language, fighting, yelling, etc.)? Was anything done to resolve the issue? Sometimes, we delay homework so that my children can express their emotions, feelings, and the day’s events. By addressing behaviors, we reinforce the moral foundation within ourselves, our children, and hopefully others involved.
- Address unhealed wounds so I can be present to break the cycle. Change starts with you as the parent. It’s hard to see someone else’s pain when yours imprisons you. Self-assessment and intervention are pivotal to breaking the generational cycle of pain.
- Seek the truth and cultivate truth within my family. Several years ago, I encouraged my children to speak the truth, for I am on the side of truth. Often, we are silent because we want to uphold the status quo, but upholding the status quo provides a hiding space for unhealthy behavior. My family and I continue to address bullying-type behavior in all environments, including schools.
- Act immediately. I don’t like when I have to tell grown people that their actions or others’ aren’t okay. And, yes, fear visits me during many of my experiences. However, the desire to break the cycle overrules.
Don’t let things happen for you to take experiences seriously. You have the right to create the family you want, and it’s okay if it looks different from what you experienced as a child. As parents, we must help our children build a solid character foundation to weather life’s storms. We won’t always be with them, but life principles, listening to and addressing our children’s concerns (and adults) can help them go far in life.
You can also listen to the Seeds We Plant Series #22: Respect on Create a Generational Love Cycle.
Empowering Families Series #5: One Mother at a Time Interview with Shera Cantrell – Create A Generational Love Cycle With Timika S Chambers
- Empowering Families Series #5: One Mother at a Time Interview with Shera Cantrell
- Empowering Families Series #4: One Mother at a Time Interview with Tuyet Nguyen
- Empowering Families Series #3: One Mother at a Time Interview with Mia Pickard DNP, FNP-BC
- Empowering Families: One Mother at a Time Interview with Malinda Williams
- Empowering Families Series #1: One Mother at a Time Interview with Jicel Espinosa Williams, MSN, RN
One life taken is too many. One life spared helps many.
One voice”Š”””Š-one action can change the trajectory of many lives.
Make this lifetime great because you still can!
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