When you have children, you take on the role of teaching them about life. It’s now your job to teach them the responsibilities of life. The things that they need to know and help them cope with life even when it’s hard. It’s important that while they are growing up you are doing your best to teach them the important things, but what are they? What are these important things that we all need to teach our kids? Some things will be unique to your life but there are general values that can help shape them as human beings.
TO APPROACH OTHERS WITH KINDNESS
First, one of the things that we need to be teaching our kids is to be kind. Sometimes this is hard. We know that you know that, and they will grow to learn that, but that doesn’t mean that we should turn to being horrible. Even when someone else has stooped to such a low, that does not mean that you have to. It’s a difficult thing to master, and when faced with someone being awful, it’s even harder to practice, but it is important. You never know what battles someone else is facing, and you don’t want to let it fester in your head either. Teaching this to your kids is not always going to be smooth sailing, but it should be one of your priorities.
TO UNDERSTAND AND ACCEPT THEIR EMOTIONS
Another thing that you should be doing is working on helping them to understand their emotions. As adults, a lot of us still don’t understand our feelings, but you cannot help your child until you do. It’s difficult trying to navigate these when they are so strange and hard to understand, but it is something that we all must learn to do if we have any hope of being functional adults. If your parents didn’t help you, then that is all the more reason to help your children, so they do not struggle as you struggled.
Take the time to help them understand their emotions by putting a name to them. Help them know what has caused it, and what a good way to respond to that emotion is, and never try to gatekeep. Kids can feel whatever they feel, it’s about helping them learn to manage it, not ignore it.
TO STRIVE TO BE THE BEST THEY CAN BE
At the end of the day, one of the most important things is teaching them that they should always strive to be the best that they can be. You can use sticker charts or reward stickers when they are younger to help encourage them to do this, and if you don’t like any of the generic options available you can look into a sticker printing company who can help. The point is though, the reward when they are younger will help incentivise them, but ensure that you are not using this too much or else they will become dependent on doing things only for rewards.
Parenting is not easy, and let us tell you something, it’s not not supposed to be. It’s hard, it’s frustrating, and there are going to be times where you feel like you are failing at it. But, you are not. As long as you are doing your best, and as long as you know in your heart that you are teaching your children the values that they need in life, you are doing great. Keep going, because you’ve got this.
