5 Lessons From Your Parents To Pass On To Kids
We’re lucky and blessed to have been gifted with parents who taught us how to differentiate the right from wrong, taught good manners, and instilled in us a sense of self-respect. But it’s only when we ourselves become parents that we realise just how much the lessons learned from parents are worth. Just like how they’ve played a huge role in shaping our future, we try to do the same for our children.
Golden Nuggets of Common-Life-Lessons Taught by Parents
1. Be Respectful Towards Others
You can’t be a self-respecting woman if you don’t respect others. And you can’t expect your children to follow suit if you don’t show them how it’s done. Respect both for yourself and for others is perhaps one of the best life lessons your mother taught you. When you teach your children the same concept of respect, what else follows are qualities like obedience, kindness and self-control. Traits that help your children grow up into being well-rounded individuals. The best part? They’ll pass it on to their own children.
2. Good Manners Are Important
Manners are another good life lesson taught by parents. Not only do they raise the social IQ of an individual, but they also teach you to think about the welfare of others. Children learn from their parents and when they see you and your hubby putting the needs of others first and making an effort to maintain decorum, they’re a lot more likely to do the same. You can start by teaching your little ones to say ‘please’, ‘thank you’ and ‘sorry’. As they grow, you can introduce more complex concepts like to offer something to someone first, lending a hand, and empathising.
3. Be Patient and Make Decisions Wisely
One of the important things you may have learned from your dad is patience. Patience to understand situations and people, and make decisions wisely after careful thought. It’s a trait that’s extremely valuable and one you may want to pass on to your children. Teaching them not to make decisions out of anger and frustration and teaching them to evaluate their emotions and actions, will help them not just now but when they grow up into adults.
4. Losing and Winning is Part of Life
Growing up, it’s easy to take life’s losses badly and want to win at everything. But an important thing that you probably learned from your mother is that life’s a journey, filled with ups and downs. As a parent, it’s your turn to pass on this valuable lesson to your kid. This will teach your kid to take failure constructively, and success gracefully. When you lead by example, they’ll apply what you’ve taught them in their own lives.
5. Remain Truthful Always
An honest person doesn’t cheat, lie or defame others. As a parent, you want your children to grow up into people with integrity and dignity. Just as how your parents taught you that dishonesty doesn’t get you anywhere, you can do the same for your children. Lead by example so that they know that no matter how tough it can be to stick to the truth, it can bring them peace of mind.
There are many other common life lessons taught by parents and these are just a few. Remember when your mom and dad insisted that you offer that last cookie to your sister? Or when they insisted that you always greet someone with ‘good morning’? They were the first steps toward inculcating good life lessons in you. Now it’s time for you to do the same with your little darlings.