We always think that we’re the ones that teach our kids what life is all about. But isn’t it funny how they end up teaching us? If you’ve read about How to Write in Your Gratitude Journal for Manifestation, then you know all about how we manifest miracles through writing in our gratitude journals. So, now I want to share how my 3-year-old showed me that kids are the real manifestation experts.
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I am the perfect parent – NOT!
You know I’m all about celebrating your life through party decorations and personal development. And even though I push gratitude and all the ‘mindset’ stuff on you through this blog, and on my podcast, The Celebration Effect Podcast, I am only human. And I know that in life, things can test your patience. Especially kids. I’d like to sit here and tell you that I am the ultimate shining example of what a Mom should look like. That I am patient and kind all of the time, and never get pushed over the edge. But that would be a straight up lie. Because, hashtag, real life.
In hopes that one day I will be rewarded by an extremely close and wonderful adult relationship with my now, three-year-old daughter – I constantly strive to be a better mom. I keep learning the lessons, practicing patience, and visualizing our future relationship. Nonetheless, it still feels like my patience is tested. Every. Single. Day.
Tantrum problems
A few months ago, I noticed that she started to get especially grumpy and tantrumy (is that a word?!) just before bath time each night. Usually that’s because we’re stripping her of her favorite thing in the whole world – the iPad. (Judge all you want but Mickey Mouse Clubhouse has saved my sanity on several occasions. So, I’m not even sorry.)
Needless to say, I wasn’t handling the tantrums well.
Whatever the reason for her meltdowns, I turned to the one place that you always go to for advice around kid problems – Instagram. I polled my followers @partydecorationsandpositivity and asked what they do with and during excessive tantrums and got all kinds of advice. (Listen to my podcast to hear more about it.)
Up until that point, I’d just been using the tactic of taking things away. And in having a Psychology degree, I know that this isn’t the best tactic for behavior change. So I thought on it for a while and said to myself, what am I always preaching right here on this blog and on The Celebration Effect Podcast?
To celebrate your life, of course.
A “Fun” Experiment and Why Kids Are Manifestation Experts
So then it hit me. You know how during the holidays everyone is always saying that it’s so fun to see Christmas through kid’s eyes? That’s because kids see magic because they expect it. They are always finding ways to celebrate, aren’t they? From singing at the top of their lungs from the cart at the grocery store, to knocking down every book on the shelves at the bookstore, to having a straight up dance party in the line at the DMV. Kids make the ordinary, extraordinary. They make the mundane into magic.
So with all that in mind it suddenly dawned on me. I needed to make our evening routine more fun! And I was off to experiment. That night I told Reagan that after dinner I had a SUPER fun game to play. (How you sell it is EVERYTHING, right?) She was SO excited to play our game! Little did she know it was just a little game of Simon says.
I would throw in a few Simon says actions that she would find awesome. Like, “Simon says jump on your bed”, or “Simon says quack like a duck.” And then I would throw in something that I wanted to her to do like, “Simon says, take off your socks and put them in the laundry.” By interspersing between things I knew she would love and things I wanted her to do, she simon says-ed her way right into the bath and loved every minute of it. Heck, I even enjoyed it. We laughed and giggled actually enjoyed an activity I typically dreaded. This continued for weeks, breaking our horrible phase of nighttime tantrums.
My theory was proven. Making life more fun is….well, more fun. Who woulda thunk it?
Life is like Music
I heard this really good analogy once that life is like music. When a song you love comes on the radio, you aren’t waiting for it to be over. No. You’re loving every beat and every note. There’s not one part of the song that’s better than the other because all of it together makes you love it – the ups and downs, the highs and the lows.
And that’s exactly how we should be thinking about life. We’re not just waiting for it to be over, or waiting for just ONE thing to happen. IF we were, then life would be pointless once you achieved the one high you were waiting for, or if we were just waiting to die.
No. God, the Universe, whoever you identify with, created this life for us to ENJOY it. To make the most out of every moment, even if It’s not our favorite moment, like when our children are throwing tantrums.
Additionally, I also want to point out here that I realize not everything can be fun, and kids are going to get upset, and it’s going to be harder some days then others. But We get to decide over and over again who we want to be each and every day. It’s not a one shot deal. We are works in progress. As parents, as friends, as coworkers and employees.
Why Kids Are Manifestation Experts
So when we try to celebrate in those times of hardship, we are going to have more success when it comes to manifesting the things that we want in every aspect of our life. Because, as you know, the Universe will give you more things to feel good about because of the Law of Attraction. When you are already celebrating your life and feeling good, the Universe and/or God will send you things that are a vibrational match, which means more of the things you want in life!
If you are trying to manifest something right now – maybe in your health, maybe in your career, maybe in your financial life, or in your relationships, we need to ask ourselves what are we dreading our lives? What are we rushing through? What other things and areas in our lives can we start to have more fun with?
And that’s why I know that kids are the real manifestation experts. As adults we take things so seriously. Celebrating your life goes far beyond getting through or avoiding tantrums or arguments with our kids. Take more time to celebrate. When you have a great day at work, when someone compliments your work, or your outfit, or your attitude, celebrate it. Write it down. Share it with your partner or a friend. If you read my blog about celebrating every single day, you know that I like to write down one thing to celebrate each day. By the end of the week, I can look back and be so proud of myself for the accomplishments of that week.
Alternatively, let’s not wait until the end of the song to enjoy our lives. Let’s celebrate every day. The little things. The big things. And everything in between.
Related Articles
You might also be interested in the following articles:
Why Kids are Manifestation Experts
How to Start a Daily Gratitude Practice with Your Kids
How to Know if You’re a Good Mom
Let’s Connect!
Lastly, thank you so much for reading about Why Kids Are Manifestation Experts. I love to help you celebrate life through party decorations and personal development! You can also get more value by signing up to get my FREE gratitude journal printable! Above all, I’d love to connect with you! Connect with me on Instagram or listen to The Celebration Effect Podcast and get to know me more so I can help you start celebrating your mind body and soul.
xoxo Lindsay
