This self-reflection activity is an opportunity for you to understand yourself better. This will give you some insight into the decisions that you made as a child (and are still making today) about yourself, others and the world around you. Learning about our own inner thoughts and perceptions, will bring us closer to understanding how our children also make decisions that impact their beliefs and behaviors.

Get out a piece of paper, or download and print the word document below, and answer the following questions:

What were some of the messages (positive or negative) you received from your parents growing up? 

My mother or father always said…

What did this message make you decide about yourself, others and/or the world around you?

  I decided . . . 

How does that decision affect the way you parent your own child(ren) today? 

Messages from Childhood