JUST WORDS … or defining qualities?

Confidence, curiosity, hope … just words? What about safety, trust, wonder? More words. But what important words they are when they’re part of us … or more important still when they’re part of our children.

What if all children had all these qualities living inside of them? Let’s have a look at how defining these and other similar qualities can be – and what a difference it makes when they are an integral part of our children.

Acceptance: the quality of being accepted; approval
A child who feels accepted: gains confidence, sense of belonging
A child who does not feel accepted: feels alone, sad

Attitude: a manner of acting, feeling or thinking that reflects one's disposition, opinion, etc.
Child with positive attitude: open to ideas, ready, willing
Child with negative attitude: uncreative, negative, lonely

Confidence: a feeling of assurance, especially of self-assurance; belief in one's own abilities
Child with confidence: accomplishes great things, stands out in a crowd
Child without confidence: meek, afraid to try

Curiosity: a desire to know or learn
Child with curiosity: learns something new, discovers answers
Child without curiosity: does not search for understanding, does not seek to learn

Determination: firmness of purpose; resolve
Child with determination: sense of purpose, drive to accomplish
Child without determination: weak, lack of drive, hopeless

Hope: a wish or desire accompanied by confident expectation of its fulfillment
Child with hope: eyes wide open, ready for good to happen, dreams
Child without hope: downhearted, discouraged

Safety: the condition of being safe; freedom from hurt, injury, or loss
Child who feels safe: open to trying anything, asking anything, free to be himself
Child who does not feel safe: self-conscious, embarrassed, closed off

Trust: firm reliance on the integrity, ability, or character of a person or thing
Child who has trust: develops relationships, able to move forward in life
Child who does not have trust: shuts out the world, afraid to get hurt, vulnerable

Wonder: the emotion aroused by something awe-inspiring, astounding, or marvelous
Child with wonder: desire to learn and discover, excited about life
Child without wonder: lack of ambition, limited interest in learning