Valentine’s week and throughout the year 5 free priceless gifts from the heart helps you give a gift that is remembered and valued more than anything else. When the gift comes from the heart, it may be purchased or created by the giver. To create a bit of fun, try to answer this question, “What gift can you give yourself that becomes a priceless gift for others?”

I hope you enjoy buckets of laughter throughout the year!

Cheri

My husband’s most precious gifts are listening, encouragement, and conversation. This is not the answer to the riddle.

A Story as a Hint

When our youngest child turned two, her older sister was old enough to start school. Her older brother went to a half-day school program. Thus, we discussed the choice of me either resuming my career teaching special education or staying home with our 3 preschoolers. Being practical, we calculated the cost of childcare, clothes, insurance, taxes, and additional food expenses. Shocked, we learned that my hourly wage would be reduced to $4.00 an hour, $32.00 a day. This was back when minimum wage was $5.50.

Even though staying home to care for our preschoolers was a priceless gift from the heart, staying home is not the answer. But, staying home allowed me to give the priceless gift.

What is the Priceless Gift?

Hint: What is the opposite of stress, meltdowns, and chaos?

After our financial analysis, we discussed the emotional cost of us both working. We recognized that our preschoolers would have to meet our work needs and deal with our attitudes of stress. Was it worth the cost? I wanted to meet the emotional needs of our children. All that additional stress on our family for only $4.00 dollars an hour. No way!

Did you figure out the answer? If your answer is your time, that would be a wonderful gift. But it is not the answer.

What gift can you give yourself that becomes a gift for everyone you love? Anyone can received this gift, your friends and loved ones. Okay, one more hint. It is a priceless gift from the heart and often results in buckets of laughter.

The Answer

Did you catch the hint in the first picture? Joy is expressed in numerous ways: laughter, serving, sharing, playing, baking, listening, and so much more. Joy is the attitude behind the actions, the gift.

5 Free Priceless Gifts

Each day, how will you give the gift of joy? As I help clients and their loved ones understand how their child’s behaviors help them cope with letters or stationary objects that appear to blur or double in addition to sound intolerance, they have cried in relief and sometimes with sorrow. Be kind to yourself. You were looking for answers. The very act of reaching out to me and searching for information is a priceless gift. You are seeking to understand your loved one’s needs. That is compassion.

1. Compassion is a Priceless Gift

The gift of understanding and compassion is priceless. Compassion shows you understand a person’s needs and feelings.

Compassion International is an excellent example of actions taken to empower those experiencing a crisis or poverty. On their website, learn how they bring Christmas in a shoebox to children all over the world. You can even build one online.

I helped my children learn about compassion by sponsoring a child through Compassion, adopting grandparents, participating in scouts, helping family members, and much more. Today, they have a desire to help others within their own communities.

2. Give Yourself Grace

There is plenty of stress parenting preschoolers, children, and teens. Life truly is a journey. Give yourself grace, permission to be human. There are joyful moments of understanding along the way, personal growth.

Back when I was a young mother searching for answers, I enjoyed the logic and insights within the No Greater Joy magazine. One day, what I read brought lots of joy into our home. The article asked the reader why we expected our little ones and loved ones to know how to respond to our emotions. Why do we expect our children to have self-control that we ourselves lack? 

If parents fail to share their feelings in healthy ways, it is completely illogical to expect our little ones, children, and even teens to know how to express their emotional dilemmas. They may even push their feelings down causing them to feel like a stranger in their own home, misunderstood. Wow! It is much healthier to acknowledge a feeling within ourselves rather than push it down until we explode. And to name the feeling we see on someone’s face giving them permission to feel. Acknowledging someone’s permission does not mean you have to solve anything. Just provide a listening ear, a hug, or an empathetic word of support. If unsure how, check out Diane Alber’s book series called, A Little Spot of Emotions.

3. Empathy is a Priceless Gift

Empathy is the use of words to affirm a person’s feelings without offers of helpful actions or financial help. Learning to use empathic phrases and body language tells the person you are really listening to them. Listening shows you care, a priceless gift.

Throughout the year, I encourage you to learn how to give the priceless gift of empathetic listening. Here are some empathetic phrases that recognize others’ feelings and your feelings. Just remember to let silence follow. Also, try to not overburden them with your feelings. They are most likely already overwhelmed by their emotions. The best connection is listening.

While playing with or alongside your loved ones and friends, your words provide you with an opportunity to use empathetic phrases. For example, “I know it is a bummer to lose. Thank you for being a good sport.” Also, empathetic words help you share truth. Some examples are: I hear your frustration. Yelling at me makes me feel sad, mad, …. It is Ok that you are unable to remember. I prefer you let me know that you do not remember. Then, I know what you really need from me.”

4. Joy, a Free Priceless Gift from the Heart

It seems that joy is becoming a priceless gift that is hard to find. Now, more than ever we all need joy within our homes. If able, stop and listen with joy. Or, stop and ask them to wait a few minutes so you can give them all your attention.

Look, and lean a bit forward. Smile, nod your head. Have you thought about how much your body language says, “I am listening. You are important.”

5. Priceless Gift of Time and Laughter

My newly released booklet, Encouraging Observations through Purposeful Play, Toddler Visual Activities, is available for purchase!  Developing eye movement skills are essential for listening, learning, and instinctive movement.

Build a stronger relationship as you:
SEE through activities and
HEAR through their answers,
How their World
LOOKS and FEELS
through
Their EYES and EARS.

Cheri Moore

Your toddler’s behaviors and emotions help them express their needs. A list of toddlers’ visual developmental milestones and visual processing skills along with observation tips helps you understand your toddler’s visual strengths and difficulties. 

Recognizing visual processing concerns in toddlers is life-changing. When visual processing difficulties remain undiagnosed, researchers found a higher risk of learning difficulties and poor emotional health.

Do you have questions? If so, schedule a free phone consultation.