Nurturing is what we need to do for our children and especially for children who have been abused in any form. Nurturing is showing love and caring for children. Here are some ways to nurture children in your life.
TRUST AND RESPECT
• Acknowledge children’s right to have their own feelings, friends, activities and opinions.
• Promote independence
• Allow for privacy
• Respect feelings for (other) parent
• Believe (your) children
PROMOTE EMOTIONAL SECURITY
• Talk and act so that children feel safe and comfortable expressing themselves
• Be gentle
• Be dependable
PROVIDE PHYSICAL SECURITY
• Provide food, shelter, clothing
• Teach personal hygiene and nutrition
• Monitor safety
• Maintain a family routine
• Attend to wounds
PROVIDE DISCIPLINE
• Be consistent
• Ensure rules appropriate to age and development of children
• Be clear about limits and expectations
• Use discipline to give instruction, not punishment
GIVE AFFECTION
• Express verbal and physical affection
• Be affectionate when you children are physically or emotionally hurt
GIVE TIME
• Participate in your children’s lives: activities, school, sports, special events and days, celebrations, friends
• Include your children in your activities
• Reveal who you are to your children
ENCOURAGE AND SUPPORT
• Be affirming
• Encourage children to follow their interest
• Let children disagree with you
• Recognize improvement
• Teach new skills
• Let them make mistakes
CARE FOR YOURSELF
• Give yourself personal time
• Keep yourself healthy
• Maintain friendships
• Accept love
Reprinted from http://www.prokinship.org: Kinship Link; March 2014 Newsletter
