Pia Mellody, author and therapist, defines the true nature of children as comprising 5 characteristics.\u00a0 When these 5 characteristics are recognized and honored by parents and supported by the environment in which children grow-up, then the children experience a healthy childhood. <\/p>\n
\u2028The first characteristic is that all children are valuable.\u00a0 The idea of having value is a spiritual idea that assumes all humans have inherent worth, and therefore children don\u2019t have to do anything special or achieve anything special to be prized as precious.\u00a0 When parents recognize this characteristic, it results in them treating their children respectfully, and the children develop feelings of self-worth.\u2028<\/p>\n
The second characteristic that defines the true nature of children is that all children are vulnerable.\u00a0 It is easy to understand when children are infants that they need both physical and emotional protection.\u00a0 These needs continue throughout childhood in evolving, age-appropriate ways. \u00a0 When parents recognize that children are vulnerable, it results in children not being abused or neglected and in children being taught to be sensitive to others.<\/p>\n
\u2028The third characteristic is that all children are imperfect.\u00a0 In fact, all human beings are imperfect and will make mistakes.\u00a0 Children are especially imperfect however, because their developmental tasks are all about learning.\u00a0 When parents recognize that children are imperfect, it results in them teaching children to be accountable and learn throughout their childhood without shaming.\u2028<\/p>\n
The fourth characteristic is that all children are dependent, which translates day-to-day in them having needs and wants.\u00a0 This dependency includes physical needs such as food, shelter, medical, and physical nurturing as well as emotional needs.\u00a0 Emotional needs have been defined by author and therapist David Richo as including the 5 A\u2019s \u2013 attention, acceptance, appreciation, affection, and allowing.\u00a0 When children are emotionally nurtured they receive:<\/p>\n
The fifth characteristic that defines the true nature of children is that all children are immature, or said another way, they are at maturity levels appropriate for their corresponding developmental levels.\u00a0 When parents recognize this characteristic about their children, they know what to expect and what\u2019s appropriate for their children\u2019s development stage, and they help their children act in age appropriate ways.\u00a0 In turn, children don\u2019t become over or under responsible as adults.<\/p>\n
If the majority of these characteristics are supported the majority of the time, children experience healthy childhoods.\u00a0 If you\u2019re interested in looking more closely at your childhood experiences or your parenting, please call me for an initial consultation at 720-363-5538.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Pia Mellody, author and therapist, defines the true nature of children as comprising 5 characteristics.\u00a0 When these 5 characteristics are recognized and honored by parents and supported by the environment in which children grow-up, then the children experience a healthy childhood. <\/p>\n
\u2028The first characteristic is that all children are valuable.\u00a0 The idea of having<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":38,"menu_order":15,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"page.alpha.php","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-119","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"yoast_head":"\n