Are your limiting beliefs stopping you from being a better parent and person?

not so perfect mum
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I want to start this post about limiting beliefs about a funny conversation I had with my husband the other day when I saw a picture of a dandelion. I said to him that if you put a dandelion in your bedroom at night, you’ll wet the bed. He looked at me liked I’d completely lost the plot! What was even stranger was that this popped into my mind from something I had heard as a child.

I had no clue whether this was true or not, and had never thought about this until then. This led me to become curious, and I googled to see if I could find the answer. Apparently, there is some truth to my dandelion story as they are a natural diuretic and will make you wee, but only if you eat them.

Here’s a few more parenting myths (read: limiting beliefs) you may be familiar with to lighten the mood — boy do we need this right now!

Common Parenting Myths

  • Chewing gum stays in your stomach for five to seven years.
  • Cracking your knuckles causes arthritis.
  • Wait an hour after eating before you go swimming to prevent cramping.
  • Sitting too close to the TV will make you go blind.
  • If you go outside with wet hair on a cold day, you’ll catch a cold.
  • If you keep making that face, it’ll get stuck like that forever.
  • If you sneeze with your eyes open, they might fall out.
  • Reading in the dark will damage your eyes.
  • Eat your carrots, and you’ll see in the dark.
  • If you keep crossing your eyes, they’ll get stuck.
  • Watermelons will grow in your stomach if you swallow the seeds.

Can you remember any of these and are you saying the same things to your kids?

The Reality

Of course, these are false and very innocent, but as young children we’re very impressionable and believe what our parents or caregivers tell us.

The reason for this is from birth to age seven, our brainwave cycles are Alpha and Theta. Alpha cycles are slow and the same ones that adults experience when meditating. Theta is a hypnotic state. If you’ve ever watched someone like Derren Brown (mentalist) or Paul Mckenna (the hypnotist), you’ll know that they can make people to do the most bizarre things, when they’re in this state. Plus, some people who have IBS, anxiety, want to lose weight or quit smoking, and so on can benefit from hypnosis.

Be Aware

Being in this state in our formative years indicates high suggestibility and receptivity — soaking everything up like a sponge. At 2 to 6 years of age, a child will believe nearly everything that is told to them.

Many of us as children believed in Father Christmas, the Easter Bunny, Fairies and much more, majority of us grew out of this stage without any issues. Although, I’m still believing in magic of Christmas! However, much of what we learn as a young child forms our beliefs about ourselves and the world around us. At these tender years, children make subconscious decisions about how they need to behave in order to gain approval from their families. They become whoever they need to be, to be accepted, loved and fit in.

limiting beliefs
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What’s Your Story?

Children absorb values, experience, information from family, friends, caregivers, school, culture, and religious institutions at these early years.

To add to this we all acquire many labels such as shy, naughty, good, bad, outgoing, loud, quiet, intelligent, average, ADHD, ADD, dyslexic, etc. Labels stick and the child believes this is who they are. Children can carry these labels or limiting beliefs of who they think they are into adulthood, and this will affect the way they think, behave and make decisions in the future — as our beliefs become our foundation.

These beliefs about ourselves and the world around us create our ‘script’ or ‘story.’ Great if you have an empowering story about yourself and the world around you, not so great if you have a disempowering one – otherwise known as limiting beliefs.

Many adults believe they are not good enough in one area or another.

Many adults believe they are not worthy.

Many adults believe they can’t find love.

Many adults believe the world is out to get them.

Many adults believe they can’t do this or that.

Many adults believe they are a failure.

Many adults believe they are not intelligent enough.

Many adults believe they will not amount to anything.

Many adults believe they are not good with money.

None of these beliefs are true.

They are just limiting beliefs and can be changed.

We all have limiting beliefs.

Time To Reflect

What’s your story? Empowering or disempowering?

What limiting beliefs are holding you back?

Maybe it’s time to change your story?

Remember, your limiting beliefs can be changed.

Be Careful

With everything you’ve just read, I hope you can understand why it’s so important to be careful with what you say to your child. However, don’t panic if you’re now worrying about what you have already said. It is never too late to change and start afresh. It is never too late to become a better parent or person. Same for you if you are aware that your old story/beliefs do not serve you anymore, then there’s no time like the present to make a change.

A Little Tip

I would highly recommend getting a blank piece of paper and writing down your beliefs you have about yourself, life in general, people, religion etc, and challenging these beliefs.

Where did I first hear this? Is this true? Is this belief holding me back?

Pay particular to attention to the limiting beliefs about you have about yourself. As the majority of us have no awareness, we are holding ourselves back with our old limiting beliefs.

THINGS TO REMEMBER

AGE 2 TO 6 CHILDREN BELIEVE PRETTY MUCH EVERYTHING YOU TELL THEM

CHILDREN’S MINDS ARE LIKE SPONGES AND ABSORB EVERYTHING AROUND THEM

CHILDREN BECOME WHOEVER THEY NEED TO BE, IN ORDER TO BE LOVED, ACCEPTED & FIT IN

LABELS STICK!

OUR LIMITING BELIEFS CAN BE CHANGED

BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU SAY TO YOUR CHILD

WE ALL HAVE LIMITING BELIEFS

CHALLENGE YOUR BELIEFS AS THEY MAY NO LONGER BE SERVING YOU, AND MOST LIKELY HOLDING YOU BACK FROM A BETTER LIFE

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If you would like to find out more, please feel free to contact me by email: [email protected] or via Instagram and Facebook.

2 comments

  1. Very often I have to tell my husband to be quiet because he keeps spouting rubbish or opinions that I think the kids should not hear. You are so right about watching what you say in front if the kids

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