Love is in the air...

It's February and love is in the air... Our families are our worlds. We love them and show them in so many ways every day.  Can we show TOO MUCH love?  How often do you think about how you show your love? Do you show love with hugs and kisses? Do you show love through your cooking or creating? Do you love to buy things for your family to show them you're thinking of them? Do you write love notes? Perhaps you plan special dates with your kids. We all have different ways of giving love and it's all good, but is too much of a good thing no longer good?  Be sure that how you show love teaches your kids your values.  We often get caught in traps of buying things when really we want to communicate that time together is more important than stuff. Sometimes we want to make things all better for our kids, when really showing love would mean letting them struggle a bit and learn deeper lessons. Loving our kids too much can actually cripple them later in life.   My best advice is to ask yourself what would be best for your kids in the big picture. Do they need to learn this lesson to be stronger and wiser later in life? Would backing out of a situation be better for your child than micro-managing it? Remember the old saying, "Tell me and I forget, teach me and I remember, involve me and I learn." (Benjamin Franklin)  Let your kids experience their lives; don't bubble wrap them, guide them from a distance and hug them close when they hurt. Sending you all much love! Wishing you balance, Bette Alkazian, LMFT Balanced Parenting www.BalancedParenting.com (from my February, 2016 newsletter)