Childhood is known as the phase of an individual’s life in which the base values and behaviors are shaped. Hence, it is important that parents pass down valuable lessons that will help them stand up for themselves and be independent. Failing to offer guidance might lead to your children lacking mental and emotional resources when posed with challenges in their later part of life.
While there are common lessons like valuing friendship, living simply, cooperating with others, and being grateful, there are always more lessons parents can pass down to their kids — some lessons more valuable than others and ones that they weren’t taught at a young age because it was a different time, and a different world to navigate.
Here are some lessons that are considered valuable for kids in present day society that you should be aware of in order to best teach and prepare them to lead a more fulfilling life.
Make Mistakes
Making mistakes wasn’t widely accepted and handled in a healthy way for the older generation due to social norms in the past. However, we are humans, and all humans make mistakes. What’s important is that we learn from our mistakes.
So, teach your kids that everyone has bad days and that making mistakes is nothing to be afraid of. Let them know how mistakes offer the flexibility to try and learn something new and that one should never stop learning. You must be a life learner and push your child to learn new things based on their interests as well.
Emotions Are Okay
An important lesson to teach your kids is to express their emotions freely. Unfortunately, being open about one’s feelings or being emotional was not necessarily accepted and handled well in the past generations. The result is emotional stress that has not only been linked to mental illnesses but also physical problems like headaches, heart diseases, insomnia, etc.
Make your child feel valued and important, shower them with love and embrace their emotions. This will guide them to do the same for you. You are your child’s biggest role model. So, the way you act will influence their actions in adulthood.
Grades Aren’t Everything
A decade ago, parents considered grades were everything because they somehow translated to a better job and a great income. This often puts the children under a lot of pressure and expectations, pushing them into the hands of mental illnesses.
Nonetheless, grades don’t matter as much today.
Instead, skills and talents are considered necessary. So, don’t forget to teach your kids that life is not always about their grades or performance in school. Explain to them that it is also about having fun, acquiring skills, and learning to handle challenges in life diligently.
Love Yourself
The older generation knows how a lack of paying attention to the idea of loving yourself can affect you. Constantly adapting or changing based on society’s expectations or other people’s interests and opinions can make you hate and eventually lose yourself. It is quite important to accept yourself just the way you are to be more self-confident, feel positive, and be happier.
Teach your kids what you weren’t taught. Help them focus on their positives and avoid saying anything negative about yourselves in front of your kids. For instance, stop occasionally saying how stupid or lazy you are at times. This can lead to your kid copying you and thinking negatively about themselves. Help them set life goals, show them how to achieve them, and take better care of themselves.
Do Your Own Thing
Lastly, teach your kids to be different and never be afraid to do their own thing rather than follow the crowd. Allow them to express themselves, whether that is by wearing kids colorful prescription sunglasses, pursuing less common arts or hobbies, a different country to live in, or something else.
Let your kids know that life is full of challenges and that challenges make them strong. So, let them figure out what they want to do in life, or when posed with a small problem, such as drawing something or clearing up a mess they made.
Be There For Your Kids
It’s important that you pass down valuable life lessons to your kids to help them grow into better and more independent individuals. Teach your children that they deserve to be respected and loved and have the right to express their emotions freely.
Talk to them about the importance of challenges in life, making mistakes, and failing. But beyond all these, be there for your children always. Every time they face difficulty, show up for them and encourage them to deal with it positively.
