A Soothing Presence

Do you have people in in your life who simply exude a calming presence? When you're around them you notice you can breathe a little easier, a little deeper. Your thoughts seem to slow down just a bit. You feel like they see you, and maybe you even feel like you can see yourself a little better, too. This is part of the idea of presence Dan and Tina describe in Chapter 5.

We all want our children to be able to soothe themselves in the face of distress. However, sometimes we have unrealistic expectations that can get in the way of us maintaining the very same calm presence we are wanting to see exhibited in our children. It is reasonable to assume there will always be times in which our children will need our assistance soothing their very big emotions throughout adolescence and into adulthood.

This week I hope you take the chance to learn a little more about the importance of inner soothing, how a child develops the capacity for inner soothing, and the important role you play in this.