What does your home feel like to your kids? Ever wondered that?
Does it feel happy? Is it fun? Maybe busy?
How can I make my home feel safe for my kids?
It was a strange intersection of work and family that occurred last week. I am a little nervous to teach an upcoming class, not because I don’t know the subject matter, but because I am a little intimidated by the environment I’m expecting to walk into. Sometimes the classes I teach are energetic and happy, and it feels like everyone is excited to be there and anticipating a great time. Other classes have a heavy cloud over them and everyone can sense there is little to no motivation to learn what I have to present, whether it’s because they are resistant to change or because they don’t want me coming and telling them how to do their jobs, I don’t know, but either way I have to teach them.
So I read an article on – of all things – Psychological Safety. I was looking for specific actions I could take that would break the ice, so to speak, and get people to lower their guard and participate in a positive way. Otherwise I knew the class would feel much longer than ten days. It was as I read this article by Amy C. Edmondson entitled, “Managing the risk of learning: Psychological safety in work teams (2002)” that I was struck with just how much of this related to the home, as well as to the classroom.
As a dad, I want so much for all my children to succeed in life and to dream big. I want to be their biggest cheerleader and fan; to inspire them to do more than they ever thought possible. I want them to explore their world and try new things without being afraid to fail. And I want to help them avoid making any mistakes that I can before it’s too late.
