The King Maker

What do you see when you look at this picture? Do you see a messy cabinet? Do you see sloppy work? Could there be more to this picture? Keep reading to find out. This picture is actually so much more than what you see at first glance.  My four-year old son surprised me by folding the laundry and putting it away. I see evidence of a beautiful  heart. ❤️ He was so excited to show me what he had done. Now, I see that the cabinet is messy and the folding wasn’t perfectly neat. However, I don’t care. I chose to celebrate his kind heart. I chose not to redo his work. I chose not to criticize his efforts. Instead I chose to lavish him with extravagant praise. He beamed from ear to ear as my praise filled his heart. He lit up like a Christmas tree. I could see the pride on his face from dimple to dimple. I chose to build a future king for some lucky lady!
One time I asked my husband to stop at the grocery store and get a head of lettuce. He did go to the grocery store for me. He came home with a head of cauliflower instead. I chose to respect him. I chose to thank him for helping me out. I chose to praise him. I withheld my criticism. I chose to make roasted cauliflower instead of a salad. I chose to be a king-maker!
One time my daughter asked me to bake with her. She made a complete mess all over the kitchen. The cracked egg was mostly on the counter top rather than the bowl. My beautiful clean white kitchen got painted with a lovely white flour dust. I chose to let her make the mess. I chose to let her crack the egg on her own. I chose to let her try adding secret ingredients to the cookie. The flour blizzard that blew through my kitchen that day was worth the glow of strength and confidence that radiated from her face. I saw a future wife, mother, and baker in her own kitchen. I saw an increase in confidence. I chose to build a queen for some lucky man!
If you redo everything your kids and spouse do for you, they will stop helping. If you criticize because it wasn’t done to your standards you will squelch their confidence. If you act ungrateful for the help they eventually will stop trying. Constant criticism produces many negative behaviors such as: perfectionism, eating disorders, depression, laziness, low ambition,  low self-esteem, lack of confidence, and inability to make decisions.
You need to know this is coming from someone who is a perfectionist. This comes from someone who likes everything spotless and sparkly clean. However, I like the idea of building kings and queens far more than my own perfectionism. How we respond to our loved ones in the home either creates confidence or breaks down self-esteem. What are you building in your home? You have the power to build kings and queens!!