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Love And Care For Yourself As If You Were A Small Child
You were born worthy of love
When you were born, you were born worthy of love and care. You didn’t have to do anything more or anything less to deserve love. It didn’t matter how many diapers you soiled, or how well you slept. You deserved for someone to feed you, put you down for naps, hug you, kiss you, and play with you. You were meant to be spoken to adoringly. Hopefully, those things happened for you, but if they didn’t, or if something changed along the way, you can give that love to yourself.
Love yourself as if you are the caretaker for that child
Love yourself as if you are the caretaker for that child, because, guess what? You are the caretaker now! You are an adult, in charge of your own loving care. I’m sure you have other loving people in your life somewhere, but the ultimate responsibility for your nurturing is up to you. What is your inner child needing right now?
- At least 7–9 hours of sleep every night
- Nutritious foods that help you have energy
- Someone to listen to you
- Room to express your full range of emotions (love, anger, grief, joy, resentment, sadness)
- Playtime
- Time outdoors in the fresh air and sunshine
- Time with friends
- Learning time
- Quiet time
When you take care of a child, you intuit some things
I have 4 kids of my own, plus I was an elementary teacher for many years. I learned certain things about kids. Often when they seemed to lose control of their emotions, crying, and not wanting anything you try to give them, what they really need is a hug. They require someone to hold them close and let them know they are important. We need the same thing as adults. When emotions get overwhelming, we need someone to give us a hug and listen.
When kids don’t get enough sleep, or don’t eat on time, they get very cranky and whiny. As adults, our crankiness and whininess shows up in the form of fatigue and uncontrolled emotions. Our tempers get short with those around us. We…
