Education is the entire foundation of a successful individual and by extension a civilized society. However, more important than the education received in school, is the one taught in home.
Following are some necessary lessons that I believe no child should leave their home without learning:
- Respect is Key
It is one of the most common required characteristic that lacks in most children today. Shouting, yelling, not obeying elders, these might seem a little cute in toddlers, but if you do not control that behavior as children it will become catastrophic and self-destructive. Whatever you do, don’t spoil your children so much that they become disrespectful.
- Hard Work Begets Reward
Too many people are in the habit of getting things for ‘free’ in this age. They believe that there is a short-cut to everything and you can achieve anything using some easy trick. The truth is that hard work is essential in any sphere of life and that must be a core principle that is embedded into the minds of children. From childhood, only reward them after a certain hard work has been done, or a positive step accomplished. Brought a great result? Great. Reward them. Never spoil them just by gifting them day in and day out without them working towards it.
- Curiosity is the Engine of Achievement
Every child must have a deep desire to learn new things. From everywhere and everything. Teach them to question stuff. Even the small stuff. Never forgo any of their questions for being dumb or easy. Instead, answer their simplest of questions and encourage them to ask more. Introduce them to books, games, and other material. Have them explore new things and fire their imagination. The spark of curiosity will lead them onto paths of fulfillment and happiness in the long-term.
- If You Change The Way You Look At Things, The Things You Look At, Change.
Every child must know that perspective is an important thing to keep in mind. Even in the toughest and saddest of situations, you can choose to get up and feel better by changing your perspective. Teach your child to view every situation with a positive lens. A child must know that it is critical to be positive in every situation and
- For Every Good Reason To Lie, There Is An Even Better Reason To Tell The Truth
Truth is regarded as an important part of an individual’s character. However, most children don’t possess this beautiful habit. The reason may be that children learn from a young age that lying will get them out of trouble especially if they have strict parents. Similarly, they may see their parents lying to others or even to them, thus teaching them that lying isn’t that bad a thing. Make sure that you aren’t one of those parents and instead teach children about the importance of truth and always appreciate when they speak the truth even in tough situations.
In the end, these are just a few of the basic lessons that every child must learn. It is important to make sure that your child learns the basics so that he/she may learn the rest later in life. You teach the macros, and they’ll learn the micros on their own. Most importantly, be a good moral role-model that your children can imitate and learn good life-lessons from.
