AS PARENTS, THERE’S NOTHING THAT WE WANT MORE THAN TO SEE OUR KIDS THRIVING, TO SEE WHAT MAKES THEIR EYES LIGHT UP, WHAT MAKES THEIR HEART BEAT FASTER, WHAT ARE THEY DRAWN TO. 

Sometimes it’s really hard to identify those things, and society tells us if those things that they feel really connected to are not aligned with conventional ways in which kids are supposed to operate, then those kids are weird and we have to get them more focused on math, reading, sports. 

In today’s episode, hopefully, I’m reminding you of all the reasons why that’s not true and that it’s our job as parents to cultivate that in them, to identify that spark in them, to fuel those flames and to do it in a way where you’re leading them and guiding them towards wherever they’re called to go. Today, I want to walk you through six ways to really notice that spark in your child and how to cultivate it. 

Now, there’s a process we have called The Raising Luminary Spark. It is an exercise, and a workbook that you can walk through yourself and with your children to really figure out what are those things that light your kids up. It could be things that you’re totally overlooking, so head over to luminaryleadershipco.com/spark to grab it. The workbook is really comprehensive and it’s something that you can use over and over with each of your kids and you can even do it with yourself if you’re feeling a little lost or like you need some clarity in your own life.

Let’s raise them up right!

IN THIS EPISODE, WE COVER:

[2:45] Lean Into Gratitude

The first step in the process is looking for clues in what your children are really grateful for. You want to make it a common practice in your home that everyone is really leaning into gratitude and sharing what that is and the easiest way that we’ve implemented that is around our dinner table because we all are together around the dinner table at the same time. 

Gratitude is such an invaluable window into the kids’ hearts, to really know what they are thankful for, what they’re passionate about, what lights them up. They may start off with general things of what they’re grateful for but just let it be, don’t be frustrated with this process. If you make this a habit in your everyday lives and you really model it for them, you’ll start to notice their contributions as they start to deepen a little bit and they start to practice this skill of noticing things that they’re thankful for, which is a wonderful quality.

[4:45] Create Opportunities for Boredom

The second way is creating opportunities for boredom. I remember audibly saying to my parents: “I’m so bored”, and never once did they do anything but say: “Okay, go play and figure it out”. This allowed me to be inventive and figure out ways to fill my time, to use my mind and to explore adventures. 

So, when our kids are left to figure out what to do for themselves instead of being overscheduled or distracted by devices, they come up with some really creative things to do with their time. Boredom is not a bad thing, it’s whitespace to create and to think. Sometimes we’re so overscheduled that we don’t even allow for some boredom to creep in so that we can tap into that creativity.

[6:35] Plan Wonderfilled Environment 

Intentionally expose your kids to a variety of experiences, places, books, music, art, sports, whatever piques their curiosity. You can do this by getting them in different environments. So, take them to a museum and see if anything sticks there, or to a nature center, or hiking through the woods and going on an adventure or getting into some specialized classes. Let them listen to an audio book and see if they are more audible in their learning or if they really resonate more with something more visual or physical. 

There’s endless possibility but keep in mind that not all the seeds that we plant are going to sprout, but even if one or two of them do, it’s a worthy investment of our time. So, plan those wonderfilled environments, put them in there, let them experience them and then give you the feedback, and you’ll start to get a taste of where they’re being led.

[9:10] What Comes Naturally to Them 

Sometimes we overlook the things that are strengths to us because we take them for granted. We think that they’re not all that special because we do it with ease and we don’t even really have to think twice when we do it. So, tune in when they get things right, see what comes easier for them than other people. These things can be really valuable insights into their purpose. 

As parents, we might be a little too close to our children sometimes to notice these things because we start to take their gifts for granted, so pay attention to what their teachers, coaches or their aunts and uncles, all the people in their lives who have their best interests at heart, think your child’s natural tendencies are.

[10:35] Natural Skills vs Innate Gifting

Be able to identify the difference between their natural skills and their innate gifting. Once you start to notice the things and the skills that come easily to your child, pay attention to their innate gifting as well. These are characteristics, the intangible things that were placed on their little souls at birth. And this is going to require you to really fine tune your awareness and your acknowledgement. So make sure you decipher the difference because their innate gifting is something that you never want to underestimate or take for granted.

[12:38] Nightly Talk Time

Nightly talk time is the most critical 10 minutes of your day. That time right before bed when you’re so freaking exhausted and ready to just get on with your night. Instead of trying to rush that process, use this beautiful opportunity to engage with your kids one-on-one, without distractions. 

This is when they’ll share about their day, they’ll talk about what’s been stressing them out or worrying them, what they’re excited about, what they’re anticipating, but it’s also a little lens into their hearts. It can be the most impactful 10 minutes of every day, so don’t squander that and have that nightly talk time.

[14:20] Raising Luminaries Spark 

So, if you want some help with this exercise, go to https://luminaryleadershipco.com/spark/ to get our Spark workbook that will help you identify these things so that you can cultivate it and raise that little Luminary.

And if this speaks to you, take a screenshot of this episode and share it on your stories, tag us, let us know that you’re listening, that you’re implementing, that you’re leading. We are so proud of this community and so grateful for this community, but we know that there are so many other parents out there who are feeling the weight of the world right now, knowing that they desperately want to lead their children but they just don’t know where to start. So, we want to share this with them, we want to start this movement. 

FREE COFFEE ON US? Yes, please! All you have to do is write a review and give us a 5-star rating on Apple Podcasts, take a screenshot and email it to [email protected]. That’s it! As a thank you, we will send you a gift card for a free coffee 🙂 You have from Monday, 9/20- Sunday, 9/26, to send the email for free coffee, so what are you waiting for?

RESOURCES FROM THIS EPISODE:

• Leave us a review here, take a screenshot and email it [email protected] and coffee is on us from now until Sunday, 9/26!
• Raising Luminaries Spark Workbook
• Connect with me on Instagram!