Valuation Time

 Been thinking about the word "Valued" a lot this week

Especially after seeing the pleasure on Daniels face when the compliment was thrown his way

So what does it mean to be Valued??

How can we promote our children to feel Valued??

Do you feel valued yourself??

If not, why not??

Definitions of Value picked from my thesaurus.
As an adjective:

cherished, esteemed, irreplaceable, priceless, treasured

As a noun:

admire, appreciate, premium, prize, respect, significance, treasure, worth
 

If in definition of ourselves words like that could be used....who wouldn't want to be valued!!!!

I KNOW I am valued as a daughter, my parents show me through their love and actions every day of my life.
They listen to me......ok well actually they have to as I never shut up !!!
They respect me.....My thoughts and opinions are important to them
They love me.......and its the unconditional love every child deserves no matter what age

I KNOW I am valued as a sister, my brothers don't care who knows that they think the world of me as a sister
They care about me........ Even though I am big sister and secretly I think they are scared of me
They stand by me.......They would love to fight my battles for me LOL
They tease and banter me........Well if you know me well, you would know that I tease and banter a lot  !!!! but its all good as I can take it too !!!

I KNOW I am valued as a mother, my children frequently tell me they love me and need hugs from me.
The Hug.....We are a huggy family and so affection is flowing freely between me and my children
The listening ear.....They can talk to me about anything, even though listening to them sometimes makes me blush at their 'topics' for debate
The availability....... I would never turn my children away if they needed me and support them in all aspects of their lives

I KNOW I have never been valued as an equal, but I make sure that my children are taught what to expect and what to put into a relationship to make sure that they don't miss out on that aspect of being valued.

Teaching our children to realise they are valued is all about taking their feelings, their thoughts, their passions, their interests, their loves, their hobbies......... and being a part of them enjoying all these things.

Appreciate their contributions to life, encourage them in all things, congratulate them for their effort not their achievement. If they reach high but don't quite make it, be proud and respectful of the effort they put into it. if they reach high and make it .....well thats just a bonus for you all.

Give them the freedom in gaining confidence in all things. Recognise they need to stand on their own two feet but be there to catch them if they slip.

Being valued is so much bigger than being loved. Its recognising their worth and letting them see their worth for themselves.

Notice the things they do just to make you smile. It doesn't have to be a big event, my children often tell me I need a hug???? Great, who am I to refuse that????

A valued child is a confident, balanced, loved and secure child