SFL Journal #3

To read all posts from my class, click here.

What do children need?

Today in class we talked about the needs of children and the universality of those needs. All children need to be cared for and loved. I feel I was very privileged to be raised in a home that was very loving. All of my needs were met and I had very little to worry about. There were many things in my family that I didn't realize were important at the time but looking back I understand that they helped me become the person I am now. 

Families need: Parents who are parents - in charge, with a safe hierarchy; parents need skills, perspective, and support; parents need to provide structure to foster safety, stability and security. 

When children have stable homes like that they grow up with better skills to have healthy relationships and form strong families. 

So is this hard for parents? You bet! Parents often feel like their not doing a good enough job. One of the best ways for parents to know if they're doing ok is to ask for feedback from others. It's never too late to make a change and work on parenting. 

So what does this mean for me? I'm a young 20 something with no kids. Well I want nothing more than to be a mother and a good one at that. If I can just give my kids a love, structured home then I'm probably doing alright. So what if I'm not the mom with perfect cookies or an awesome body. If my kids feel love and security then I'm already doing a great job.