(Adapted From Aish Ha’Torah Series & Edited With Additions By Rabanit K. Sarah Cohen)
Reinforce Teamwork
Parents are the captains of the family ship. You set the tone in the home. Try and set a positive mood. You want your children to be proud of themselves and their family. Make sure to say words like this, loud and often:
“I love this family.”
“Our family really knows how to work together.”
“We are such a great team!”
“We really know how to laugh together and have a good time!”
Compliments Are Important
This is similar to the above, but compliments can be even more powerful than showing appreciation:
“You have such a great smile!”
“That blue in that sweater brings out the blue in your eyes!”
“Thank you for being so patient with me!”
Compliment Your Spouse
It’s very important that you and the children extend an appreciation to your spouse. Here are some examples:
“Thank you for taking over. My patience was shot!”
“You really know how to get through to the children!
“You make us all laugh! It’s fun to be around you.”
“Thank you for working so hard for our family.”
“The children love you so much! They get excited when they see you walking up the driveway.”
Just For The Wives
As a wife, we often intuitively know what our children need and we may disregard our husband’s input. Instead of asking for his opinion, we just tell him what to do. Husbands should be respected and the children need to see us respecting their fathers. Try to include them with words like:
“Shmuel is bothered b something. What do you think we can do to help him?”
“Eliyahu has been acting out. I think he needs some time with you. Do you think you could devote some time to him?”
“Sarah’s homework is beyond me. Do you have time to go over it with her tonight?”
