Emotional Bank Account

Ah, a beautiful sky with a few clouds.  The sun streaming over the clouds in silvery motion.  What the life!

 

I wish it was that easy.  I wish that when I wake up in the morning my kids would be all smiles and happy, always, did I say always?, yes always, happy, smiling.

I better jump back down to earth now.  I recall my teenage years.  The challenges, both the good and the bad.  I recall my interaction with my Parents.  Lots of highs and quite a few lows.  My Parents were good in setting a standard with me.  If I intentionally broke that standard, then there was always a pre-ordained consequence.  During my dating years, I was probably the most car-less person in the world!  But I love my Parents and respected the way they raised me.

Now, several years later, I have my own family.  I am attempting to raise my kids in the same flavor my Parents raised me.  I was talking with a friend the other day.  He put a name on a life situation that I had been dealing with.  He called it an Emotional Bank Account.  Basically, when you have kids, as they are young and you do things with them, help them, love them, etc., you deposit items in their Emotional Bank Account.

The idea being that when a child becomes a teenager and believes that they know everything, you can withdraw items out of the Emotional Bank Account to work with the child.  I can think of several items that would be deposited in a child's Emotional Bank Account:

• Love
• Safety
• Being there for you
• Love
• Activities with the child
• Did I say Love?
• etc.

If your relationship with a child during the early years of their life has been good.  If you have spent a lot of time with the child, and show true love for the child, then when you need to withdraw from the account, things will, for the most part, be good.

If you have a teenage child, you know that they are a full of energy, with hormones racing through their bodies.  They think they know everything and that their Parents know nothing.  However, if you have a full Emotional Bank Account, you will be able to talk to and discuss with this child in a respectful and dignified way.  An better yet, the child will love you and respect you.

Till next time,
Bill