It's all about the 'Tude, Dude

Note: This is third in a series of posts... In the post three days ago, I introduced the concept of C.L.A.P. for kids -- an acronym that gives me some structure as I try to raise kids who are worthy of applause. Two days ago, I focused on the "C" which is for chores. Yesterday, I got into a little more depth on the L part of the acronym which is for Learning. Today, I'm exploring the A which is for Attitude!

I feel like CLAPping for my children when I see that they are taking a deep breath and choosing to stay calm when otherwise the situation calls for complaining, whining, yelling, or growling... Aaaahhh, such a challenge to accept responsibility for one's own reaction! When we can't control anything else about our circumstances, we can at least keep control of ourselves, our emotions, our attitude -- and that's what the A in CLAP stands for.

Charles Swindoll was right when he said:
"The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failure, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness, or skill. It will make or break a company, a church, a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice everyday regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past... we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude. I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it. And so it is with you. We are in charge of our attitudes."

© Sensay | Dreamstime Stock Photos &Stock Free Images

And so I empower my children by teaching them this concept, and holding them accountable for it! Are they discovering all the ways to improve their personal reality simply by smiling, or letting things go, or looking for solutions, what they CAN do, rather than dwelling on the CAN'Ts. I work (and it is definitely work!) to set an obvious example of this concept for them to follow -- and it benefits me along the way. I ain't perfect, and I take the blame for teaching my son to use his gorgeous thick eyebrows to scowl, and yet I will maintain a good attitude about our imperfections!