Important Life Lessons You Can Teach Your Kids At Home
School is excellent, but the lessons that stick with everyone the most are the ones you learned from home. Your parents or guardians often influenced the manners, habits, and lifestyle practices you carry into adulthood. Sometimes, you even adopt their mannerisms.
Hence, if you're raising children, what you teach them today will impact their growth. Aside from being a good example, you should also impart some crucial life lessons. These include things they might not understand yet but will do so as they get older.
So without further ado, here are the life lessons-aside from doing chores, eating well, and looking after yourself-that you can teach your kids at home:
1. Compassion
Teaching compassion might be challenging today since the COVID-19 pandemic limited volunteer activities. But there are more ways to teach compassion other than outreach activities. Plus, compassion is an instinct, contrary to popular belief that humans are innately selfish. Many children might not like sharing their toys, but that's because they haven't been exposed to situations where sharing becomes an instinct.
Sadly, children today are more exposed to social media than real-life situations. This can affect their compassionate nature because the culture on social media is all about satisfying one's desires. As such, they can get confused about online and real-life communication. They might assume that it's alright to talk to a person the way they'd comment on someone's tweet or TikTok video.
If your children don't use the internet much, they might also struggle with communicating with other people online. After all, it isn't easy guessing the tone of an instant message. The other person can't see your body language and facial expression, making you seem almost robotic.
Teaching basic communication skills and etiquette is critical. Instruct your children to make eye contact when talking to someone in real life. For instant messaging, tell your child to be as precise as possible with what they want to say. That should include the proper use of punctuation marks, grammar, and spelling.
Good communication skills will prepare your kid for many situations that demand kindness. They won't be scared to extend a helping hand because they know what a person asking for help looks like and feels.
2. Generosity
Many experts tie generosity with compassion. When your child is old enough to volunteer, teach them the value of generosity. Start by asking them to pack the toys and clothes they don't like anymore. Tell them that another kid can use and love them, just like they did when they were younger.
Many kids react negatively to their parents giving away their old toys. But if you already talked to your kid about generosity beforehand, they might respond with less hostility. Just be patient if your kid still makes a fuss. Children tend to be attached to their things, but they'll get over it quickly. Don't appease them by lying about the actual destination of their old stuff. Be upfront to them about donating and volunteering. The earlier they learn about it, the more natural it will become to give back.
3. Money Management and Investing
Toddlers and elementary pupils will find money topics boring. Thankfully, you can use age-appropriate methods to catch their interest. The good old piggy bank will always appeal to kids, so start with that item. Encourage them to put loose change in the piggy bank and open them on Christmas or their birthday. That will already explain to them the concept of time deposit.
Kids in middle school and high school can already start with investments. Pick an easy topic, such as fixed-income securities. These refer to assets that pay investors fixed interest or dividends until maturity. This type of security can encourage teens to invest their money and earn passive income. In turn, their adulthood can be more prosperous because they don't have to depend on a job to earn solely.
4. Standing Up for Themselves
Unfortunately, the world is still like a battlefield for adults. As such, many teens and fresh graduates undergo an intense culture shock when they enter the workforce. It's full of things they didn't expect, including people who don't treat them well.
Therefore, while your kids are still young, teach them how to stand up for themselves. Teach them how to say no, be respectful without being a pushover, and observe a healthy amount of assertiveness. But of course, fill your household with love and comfort. Teaching them real-world skills doesn't have to come at the cost of your kids' mental health.
The real world can be a testy place for people coddled by safety. But the good thing is, you can teach your children these lifelong lessons they can bring outside your home as early as now. Teach them compassion, generosity, how to handle money, and standing up for what's right, and they'll be all right in the world.