Praising your child has always been a “tricky” area of parenting. You want to raise your child to be a confident human being while also embodying what it means to be humble and appreciative. So, how do you stay within the bounds of instilling self-assurance without going overboard? While every child is different, several parenting approaches allow you to praise your child’s efforts without enabling arrogance. Raise Confident Kids 4 Tips Every Parent Should Follow RECOGNIZE YOUR CHILD’S EFFORT IN ADDITION TO THEIR ACCOMPLISHMENT. As parents, it’s easy to praise your child’s accomplishments without acknowledging all their hard work to achieve them. Suppose your child won first place in their school’s spelling bee. Instead of praising them for being the best, acknowledge how all their studying paid off.
Each of us has our own unique life story. While we’d like to think everyone follows the same path of progressing through childhood, getting married, having children, and growing old with our families, not everyone wants or achieves that life. Many older Americans prefer to live alone and never started families. Since these individuals don’t have heirs, they may believe they do not need an Estate Plan, but that’s not the case. Everyone should have an Estate Plan, regardless of age, assets, and unique situations. Independent Living, Independent Planning Estate Planning for the Child-Free and Carefree
If you’re an independent older American without children, here are two Estate Planning elements you should establish.
CREATE A WILL. If you pass away without a Will, your assets will be distributed according to Florida’s intestate succession laws. Your assets will go to your parents if you don’t have a spouse or children. If your parents have passed, your assets will go to siblings or their heirs. From here, it gets tricky. Your assets could go to your grandparents, aunts, uncles, or your deceased spouse’s next of kin, but if you don’t have any of these individuals anymore, everything will go to the state. You can avoid this by creating a Will and giving your assets to friends, religious organizations, or other individuals or groups you are affiliated with. DESIGNATE MEDICAL AND FINANCIAL POWERS OF ATTORNEY. Your Estate Plan doesn’t only cover situations that arise after your death; it’s also essential to ensure your desires come to fruition if you become incapacitated. You need someone to make medical and financial decisions on your behalf, and it needs to be someone you trust completely. This is not something you want to leave to chance. It could be a friend or even a clergy member. You should also establish where you want to live if you reach a point where you’re unable to live on your own. You may wish to remain at home with a live-in caretaker or go to a
EXPRESS CONFIDENCE IN THEIR ABILITY TO ACHIEVE SUCCESS. Let your child know you’re not only proud of them but also that you know they can achieve their goals. This praise sets the stage for your child to share future goals — for example, making the basketball or cheerleading team. AVOID FORESHADOWING PRAISE WITH NEGATIVITY. This may be difficult for some parents, especially if they’ve had repeated obedience issues. If you’re proud of your child’s game- winning catch, avoid prefacing the statement with “Even though you didn’t cut the grass as I asked …” This can be considered the equivalent of a backhanded compliment, and no one responds well to those. ALIGN THE LEVEL OF PRAISE WITH THE ACCOMPLISHMENT. In other words, don’t overdo it. Parents are their children’s biggest cheerleaders, so it can be challenging to tame your emotions when they win or overcome a fear. This is, of course, at your discretion, but it’s something to be mindful of. Does winning the season’s first game warrant a big backyard party with all the bells and whistles? Everyone’s parenting styles differ, but instilling values such as believing in oneself, empathy, gratitude, and determination are qualities any parent can nurture in their children for the betterment of themselves and those around them.
long-term care facility. Whatever option you prefer, make sure it is detailed in your Estate Plan, and your powers of attorney know your wishes.
If you have any questions about creating an Estate Plan unique to your needs, please call us today!
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