On January 11, we reached our silver wedding anniversary, and looking back we both can safely say we have been a good love model for our children. I hope the children also think that, but we are not about to ask them, lest we be surprised. As humans, intimacy is one of our deepest needs. It drives young people to get involved in sexual activity. Parents, you need to make your marriage a model of intimacy and include your children in the warm of your love. Display affection by kissing, touching, holding and hugging one another in the presence of the kids. Do not be afraid to express how you feel. Love means communication. Share your hopes, dreams and pains.
One couple reached their silver wedding anniversary and admitted that in 25 years they had not spent 25 minutes really sharing their inner feelings or showing appreciation for each other. Do not wait that long. Find ways to say, I love you today.
Show respect for every member of the family. Give your partner dignity by how you treat them. Let each child know that he or she is special as good as anybody and better than nobody. Remember dignity is not pride. It comes from knowing that we are children of the King, yet expresses itself in a humble recognition of the worth of others.
There are numerous ways of modelling love. In our family, we kiss each time we have been apart for any length of time. In the past, when the kids were still young, we would also kiss them when we got home. Now that they are teenagers and above, it is only the parents who kiss when we come together. We hope that the kids are not kissing elsewhere since they are all still single.
We also regularly tell each other that we love each other and this we also tell our children and they reciprocate that love by telling us that they love us. Sometimes we send text messages to each other as well as to the children expressing our love for each other. On special occasions, such as birthdays and wedding anniversaries, we buy each other cards and presents.
We also have special meals and parties to celebrate our love for each other. Children need to learn as much about clean love from within their family as possible. Modelling love is sometimes a lot of work, and sometimes we forget each others birthdays or special occasions. In a good family there will always be a need for forgiveness and understanding when such mishaps take place.
This is an excellent way of teaching your children how to live considerately with each other. This will benefit them considerably in later life. There have been times when one of my children has had to quietly whisper to me, Dad, its moms birthday today. I have always been grateful for such reminders.
Modelling love is a critical component of teaching our children sensible sexuality. But you can only model the love that you have for each other as parents. If the love has grown cold because of some misunderstandings, then you need to seek help in order to revive that love and become a love role model for your children once again. The current TV advert on HIV/Aids, where two children try on their parents wedding clothes, is loaded with excellent lessons pertaining to love modelling.
I love the part where one of the children says they love each other and they are committed to each other. May God help you to be a love role model for your children from this day.
Post published in: Opinions