our children understand that their sense of worth isn’t predicated on
achievement.
Although it’s natural to want our children to excel, this is preferably
never at the expense of failing to revel in their ordinariness. When we
deny our children’s ordinariness, we teach them to be enthralled only by
exaggerations of life. They come to believe that only the grand and the
fabulous are to be noticed and applauded, and hence constantly pursue
“bigger” and “better.”
In contrast, when our children learn to value the ordinary, they learn to
inhabit life itself. They appreciate their body, their mind, the pleasure of
sharing a smile, and the privilege of relating to others. It all starts with
what we as parents teach them to appreciate.
I suggest you highlight for your children the following quite ordinary
moments:
The touch of our skin when we hold hands together The quiet of the
mornings when we first wake up The warm rush of the water in the
shower when we bathe
The smell of the laundry when we fold it
The togetherness of the family when we sit to eat The light of the
sun as it sets
The quiet of the moon when we shut out the lights for bed
The grip of our child’s hand on the pencil as they write The
excitement of starting a new book
The taste of our favorite foods
The wonder of every element in nature The excitement of a friend