Happy Parents Have Happy Children!
Baby Joy Chaser and I heading into day care on Eagles Day!
I am not a “good morning” person. I hardly ever say it. Typically I will greet you with a “Hi” or “Hello” when I first see you in the morning. I only say good morning if someone says it to me first. This is because I am not a morning talker. I don’t wake up grumpy or anything. I’m just not ready to jump into conversations until I’ve been a wake for a few hours. Hence my typical one word greeting. However, every single morning that I drop my son off at day care I say “Have a good day” to almost every teacher and staff worker at the center. And, I mean it more than any other phrase I utter all day long.
I want every single one of them to have a happy joyful day because happy parents have happy children. Now I know they are not my son’s parent but Monday through Friday he spends more waking hours with the day care staff than he does with me. So I need them to be happy so that they can provide my son with the best care. Baby Joy Chaser is days away from turning 6 months old. He is aware of the world around him. I see how he searches my face as he is learning to communicate. He almost always finds a smile there. That smile relaxes him, makes him smile back, and sometimes makes him bounce around a bit. I want that for him at day care too. If his teachers have a good day, he will too.
I have the following questions for you. Are most of your days good days? Do your kids find smiles more often than not when they search your face? Are you conscious of the fact that happy parents have happy children? I want everyone to make happiness a priority.
Baby Joy Chaser having fun at day care.
Now that I am a mother I feel this is even more important. It is also hard. But you owe it to yourself and your little ones (and not so little ones) to be happy. If you think sacrificing all of the things that make you happy is how you become a good mom, you are wrong! Our kids are watching everything we do. They notice our smiles or lack thereof. They delight in our laughs as much as we delight in theirs. Their tone, attitude, and how they interact with the world are mini reflections of our tone, attitude, and interactions. To have a happy kid become a happy mommy!
Practice self-care. Reflect on gratitude. Build healthy relationships and surround yourself with Joyful people (come meet some at the #CJBL in Philly). Find hope through faith. Work on your personal goals. Feel valued by giving back. These are the foundations for Joy. This is how happy parents have happy children.
