“Mom, I miss you when I’m at school”, my new Kindergartner said with tears in her eyes. I reassured her with hugs and shared an illustration with her. “There’s a string that connects from my heart to your heart. It stretches and bends all the way from home to your school. And it stretches when Mommy goes to work. When you think of Mommy, it’s because I tugged on that string when I was thinking of you and missing you too. Go ahead. Tug it as hard as you can. See, nothing can break it.” Each day, I kept reassuring her by helping her picture what our bond looks like. Her discomfort with being away from home and her family gradually disappeared each day. Then, one day, she didn’t seem to miss us much and looked forward to seeing her friends at school. Success.
Our bond with our children is strong and endless. When we take the time and meet their daily needs, they feel secure and safe. We are their sole source of safety and security. We cannot spoil them by building them up and loving them. This secure and safe feeling allows them to become more independent and confident. Confidence is necessary in making healthy choices, developing healthy relationships, and pursuing a successful future. The more we can find ways to promote safety and security in our children while they are young, the more successful in life they can become. Strengthen those bonds and build them up so they can fly.
