Parents often hear about the importance of nurturing their children and creating a nurturing home. But what does that actually mean, and more specifically, what does it look like?
Does it mean always giving a child everything he or she wants? Some moms and dads seem to think so. Or, is it simply a matter of providing basic food and shelter? More than a few parents act like that's all it takes. Unfortunately, both of these perspectives lack balance and ultimately leave families stranded at one unpleasant extreme or the other.
So where is the healthy medium between overindulgence and complete detachment?
You can find the right nurturing balance in your home using
SCALE. The letters stand for Support, Caring, Acceptance, Love and Encouragement, the essentials for being a nurturing parent:
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Support- lifting your children up when they stumble and cheering them on when they succeed.
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Caring- showing daily acts of affection, from giving hugs to providing nutritious meals.
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Acceptance- offering unconditional love - always.
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Love- displaying physical and emotional attachment through positive words and actions.
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Encouragement- providing your children with hope, courage and confidence.
Giving equal weight to each of these areas ensures that your children are receiving the nurturance they need to become strong, resilient and emotionally healthy. Best of all, unlike the much-dreaded device you step on in your bathroom, this
SCALE is guaranteed to leave you satisfied.
If you're not sure if you're showing support, caring, acceptance, love and encouragement on a daily basis, don't worry. You probably do all of those things more than you realize. Take family meals, for example. Every day (or at least a few times a week), when the whole family gathers for dinner, you have an opportunity to use
SCALE in a natural way that strengthens your relationship with your children. It can look something this:
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Smiling when your toddler sits down to eat or listening as your teen chats about his day shows
Support and
Acceptance.
- Each breakfast, lunch or dinner you prepare and share together is an act of
Caring.
- Allowing your children to try new recipes or have more responsibilities in the kitchen demonstrates
Encouragement.
- Praising your children for helping to prepare a delicious meal shows
Love - especially if you add a hug, a fist bump or a kiss.
As you can see,
SCALE isn't some complicated recipe that makes you tediously follow step-by-step instructions. It's simply an easy way for you to remember to parent using all the nurturing behaviors your children want and need in their lives. And it's a great way to tip your parenting toward success!
