08/27/2026
Sometimes my kids ask me for something, and I sigh.
And I’ve started wondering what they hear in that sigh.
Maybe I’m busy or distracted or in the middle of something and don’t really want to be interrupted.
But what do they hear?
You’re bothering me.
This is inconvenient.
I don’t have time for you right now.
And that’s not the message I want my kids to hear or carry with them.
The other day, I was listening to Life Wisdom- By Words pf Taoism #57, “Why Receiving Feels So Hard,” and something in that conversation about how our relationship with praise and receiving can be shaped by what we learned growing up got me thinking about this.
What am I teaching our kids about their value? Not just through what I say, but through how I/we respond when they need us?
I want my kids to know that asking for help isn’t a burden.
That their needs matter.
That they are worth listening to.
Because I don’t just want them to feel comfortable coming to me when they’re 9 or 11.
But also I want them to feel comfortable coming to me when they’re 19… 29… or 39.
Right now I’m working on this:
➡️Becoming more aware of the messages I’m sending, especially the ones I never actually say.
➡️When they ask for help to stay calm, breath and remember to be excited I get to help them.
➡️And to slow down enough to make our kids feel heard.
