YOUR NEEDS ARE OKAY WITH ME
by Linda Kondracki
"Quit bothering me! Can't you
see I'm tired?"
"You can't be sick today. I can't take the time off work!"
"Don't be so selfish. Your little brother can play in your room
if he wants to. He's just a baby."
"Remember this formula for joy: Jesus first, Others second, and
Yourself last."
"You're getting too big to sit on my lap and be cuddled; that's
just for little kids."
"Stop that crying this instant!"
Do any of these statements sound familiar? If you are a parent in
recovery, you probably grew up with messages like these, all of which
communicated to you that your needs were not okay. Perhaps one of the
most difficult parts of recovery is learning to recognize our own
needs and find appropriate ways to get them met. And the next question
is, "How do we keep from passing on to our children the message
that was passed on to us - , "your needs don't matter."
One way is to clearly spell out the messages we want to send to our
kids. We can do that by using slogans. Slogans can be powerful
reminders and teaching tools when we make them a part of our everyday
life. Look at those listed below and choose several that capture what
you would like to communicate to yourselves and your children. Write
them out and post them on the bathroom mirror or the refrigerator
door. Use them as encouragements (It's okay to ask for help),
affirmations (Your needs are okay with me), and teaching tools (Say
what is true!).
SLOGANS FOR PARENTS TO GIVE TO THEMSELVES:
- Children are supposed to be
needy.
- "Lone Ranger
parenting" is self-destructive.
- You can't give your children
what you don't have yourself.
Use this slogan as a reminder to keep
working on being okay with your needs and finding healthy, creative
ways to get them met. Your kids will learn tons about their own
needs by watching you.
SLOGANS FOR PARENTS TO GIVE TO
THEIR KIDS:
- It's okay to ask for help.
If you need help, ask for it. Don't
whine, complain or blame someone else. Everyone needs help; don't
ever be afraid or ashamed to ask for it.
- Your needs are okay with me.
Don't be afraid of your needs; let's
talk about them.
I (and others in the family) have
needs, too. When our needs are in conflict, we can work it out, or
you can find someone else to help.
This slogan reminds kids to state
their needs in clear, straight messages. My favorite illustration of
this comes from a kindergarten teacher who asked me what she could
do about a student who constantly complained about feeling sick. I
asked the teacher how she responded to the child. "Well",
she replied, "I usually try to talk her out of it, give her a
big hug and send her back to her seat." I suggested that
perhaps she was really looking for the hug, and that she could give
the girl permission to ask for the hug without having to act sick to
get it. The next week the teacher reported, "She asks me for a
hug every day now, but no longer complains about being sick!"
Another example: If your child says to you, "You always play with
Johnny and you never play with me!" you can respond with, "I
don't think what you just said is true. Please tell me what you are
feeling (or thinking or want) from me right now." Help your child
say something that is more true, such as "I need some play time
with you, too." or, "I feel left out".
Activity Box: HAVE A SLOGAN PARTY
Here's a way to accomplish several things at once. You can reinforce
important truths by working with slogans, and at the same time enjoy a
family evening together. Kids will love having everyone - adults
included - working together on craft projects. You can also extend
your support network by inviting one or more families to join you.
Choose several slogans from the list above, or others that have
meaning to your family. Have available a variety of craft materials
for making the slogans into usable items. Examples:
- Cross stitch them on to wall
hangings or pillow covers
- Use a computer graphics program
to make banners
- Create book covers for school
books
- Make door knob hangers or
bookmarks
Make cards you can give each other or send to friends or
relatives
- Decoupage plaques (does anyone
ever do that anymore??)
NOTE: If you do not know how to prepare craft projects, stop by your
local craft store and ask for help, or invite friends who know how to
do such projects to help and join you.
Go to more Articles
by Linda Kondracki in STEPS Magazine.
NOTE: Reproduction in any form
without the express written permission of the author is prohibited.
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