Children who grow up into adults who are resilient, optimistic, have a sense of belonging and feel connected to others….these children are attuned to their Soul’s purpose.
Empirical evidence shows that natural spirituality exists within us, independent of religion or culture; it is as foundational to our makeup as emotion, temperament, and physical senses; and the benefits of natural spirituality are significant and measurable.
Like all parents, we have hopes and latent expectations, after all. From the moment our children are born, we imagine their future selves. Our hopes for our child-the young adult he or she will grow up to be-inform everything we feel and think and do as parents.
We all want our children to reach their full potential, and we watch to identify their areas of aptitude and natural strength, so that we may actively support their gifts. We are good parents, loving parents, parents of the highest intention and unyielding commitment. Our conversations tend to focus on how we can prepare our children to be successful in school or on the team, or about their academic or other accomplishments.
We don’t just talk and dream, we also plan and act on our best intentions. And yet all of those conversations, elaborate schedules of extracurricular activities, and high aspirations often miss the single most crucial ingredient of all, the only thing that science has shown to reliably predict fulfilment, success, and thriving: a child’s spiritual development. It is important to take a moment here to precisely define “spirituality”.
Spirituality is an inner sense of relationship to a higher power that is loving and guiding. The word we give to this higher power might be God, nature, spirit, the universe, the creator, or other words that represent a divine presence. But the important point is that spirituality encompasses our relationship and dialogue with this higher presence.
Quote from a hopi child…
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“The sky watches us and listens to us. It talks to us, and it hopes we are ready to talk back. The sky is where the God of the Anglos lives, a teacher told us. Our God is the sky and lives wherever the sky is. Our God is the sun and the moon too, and our God is our [the Hopi] people if we remember to stay here on consecrated land”.
The point here is that our children need to be made aware that they are never alone. As parents, we need to take the time to show them how to maintain a connection with their inner power. This is necessary more so now than ever before. As parents, grandparents and caregivers, we need to acknowledge that we are in a New World and our children will need more than technological skills to grow in emotional maturity and holistically.
Further, research shows that children are naturally spiritual if supported in childhood, this prepares the adolescent for critical developmental tasks of that age. If supported in adolescence, natural spirituality deepens and can become a significant resource for health and healing through adult life.
Here is the question? Do you think your child’s world remains connected to the gentleness of spirit or are they being conditioned by the challenges of society to be disconnected from Spirit? In which case does this concern you? Do you think their adult life could be impacted upon by their childhood starved of lack of ability to define feelings and emotions? Do you think they are knowing their specific wants and needs less and less?
Do you think their world is moving so fast that we need to show them how to put the breaks on from time to time?
These are some of the questions that have prompted me to put this Blog out there. My work with children’s mental, emotional and physical health is at its infancy, and I am excited to work with as many parents and children as possible to safeguard, protect and guide their children on their life’s journey.
There is no denying that over time parenting has changed. With so much information available at children’s fingertips, the challenge is for parents to navigate how they nurture and guide. The question is how do parent’s change or upgrades their parenting skills? Where and how do you as parents find the time and keep to a work-life balance routine?
I am here to help you with all those questions and impart the necessary skills to enable you and your children to live a more fulfilling lifestyle going forward.
