Five Lessons Every Kid Should Learn

17 August 2010
Parenting is a hard job, so much harder than I'd ever imagined it would be. The hospital forgot to send me home with an instruction manual when I brought my sweet babies home, so I've had to fumble along on my own. Have I made mistakes? Absolutely. Who hasn't? But, I've also done the best I could when it comes to raising my kiddos. I've been thinking about the lessons we teach our children and what is really important. I'm not a complicated gal, so my life lessons for my children are pretty straightforward
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1. To earn respect, you must treat others with respect. Respect is not a birthright, it must be earned. Simply put, this is the golden rule. If you want to be respected, treat those around you with the respect you seek.

2. You are a child, not an adult. I hate to burst your bubble kids, but I'm the parent and you are the child. You do not in fact know everything! I've been around longer than you and I have a little bit more wisdom under my belt. Try to remember this rather when you want to argue with me.

3. Turning 18 is not a ticket to living carefree. When you turn 18 you are legally adult, this is true. While you are planning your great escape from the house, remeber you are entering the real world. The real world is exciting, yes but it comes with responsibilities. Welcome to the not so glamarous world of adulthood. Have fun, but remember that now you have to do things like pay your own bills.

4. Your parents are still your parents, whether you are 9 or 90. You should always treat them with respect and love. Sure, you might have thought we were hard on you when you were growing up, but it's because we were trying to teach you how to be a responsible, remarkable adult. Please give us some credit for doing what we thought was best for you.

5. No, you cannot hide your green beans in your milk. Lying is never right, so please don't try it. Parents do have eyes in the back of their heads and I guarantee we ALWAYS find out about the things you lie about. Save us all some headaches and just be truthful. I assure you, lying will always get you in more trouble than being honest will.

“I wrote this blog post while participating in the TwitterMoms and Nanny McPhee Returns blogging program, making me eligible to get a $50 gift card. For more information on how you can participate, click here.”

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3 comments:

StaLira said...

Like this post.

Anonymous said...

I couldn't agree more and in a world where kids are taught that everything is about them and what they want, I think it gets harder and harder every day to make these simple ideas stick. Kudos to you for doing your job!!

Anonymous said...

I think you are dead on and in a world where so much emphasis is place on the I and You and All about Me, it gets harder and harder to make these basic ideas known. Kudos to you for making life work down the road for your kiddos.