Gifts from children

A child gave me this pink jewel yesterday. When a child gives us something, we as adults have a tendency to say ‘aww – no you keep it’. We mean well when we say this, however, children may unconsciously interpret this as ‘they don’t want my... present, therefore, my present isn’t good enough, and therefore, I am not good enough’. Imagine, if you give someone a gift and they reject it or do not accept it, how do you feel? It doesn’t make you feel good. On the other hand, how do you feel if you give someone a gift and they seem really happy and thank you for it – it makes you feel great! When a child gives you something (however small) they are expressing their love to you, by not accepting the child’s gift you are shutting down their flow of love, which teaches them that they shouldn’t express their love. Next time a child gives you something, smile with delight and say 'wow – are you sure? Thank you so much!’ – This teaches the child that expressing their love is positive and they will ultimately feel valued!