MEANING FULL MANTRAS

A Napier mum told me that she regularly shared with her children the following mantra before they left for school. “Be happy, be kind, be friendly.” 
I love the way she encouraged her children to be active participants in caring for others and to be true to themselves. The mantra also encourages resilience as sometimes it’s really hard to be any of those things when life isn’t going well. 
A Mount Maunganui mum shared with me that at the end of most school days she asks her children to share a ‘good thing that happened today, a bad thing and a kind action’ they did for someone else. Such sharing encourages children to see and seek kindness as part of life and the ups and downs of daily interactions. Both mantras end up taking the focus off ourselves and onto others. (The first mantra sets up the day, the second deconstructs the day). As a result the ‘greater good’ is considered and then acted on. 

POINTS TO PONDER
Children watch us all the time. Let them see you being kind at home and in our interactions with others in our communities. We all leave a legacy of some sort to our children, so make it a good one.
By listening and responding to our words, our children (no matter what age) are encouraged to be the kind of people that make our world a better place.
If children can change their worlds by being kind, just imagine the potential of adults doing the same thing.

Comments

  1. PatMay 16, 2024 at 5:32 PM

    I ask the boys how was your day, Leo will say good. I often reply..and what was good about it?

    ReplyDelete

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