Physical and Emotional Health: The Best Gift for Our Children
Dealing with Suppressed Emotional Issues Helps Us be Better Parents
by Amy Egan
I love working with parents on their quests to better relationships with their children, more harmony within their families and more joy in parenting. There are many aspects to reaching these goals such as feeling comfortable saying ‘no’, allowing kids to make mistakes, listening and validating kids’ feelings, realizing you as parent are not responsible for fixing their problems, loving children no matter how happy or sad they make their lives, being truly present with them, etc. But there is another aspect that I realize I’ve not given ample focus. The aspect of getting healthy, yourself, is vital to a child’s well being. Of course, this means physical health, but it also very much means emotional health. A parent who has inner turmoil – issues not dealt with such as, suppressed anger, addiction or emotional scars, will parent their child from a clouded perspective. A parent who is emotionally unhealthy is far more likely to under react or over react to children’s issues and behaviors throughout their lives.
