by Mia Cronan - Main Street Mom - mia@mainstreetmom.com - © 2006 - Used by permission
The following list represents but a few of the things that some parents tend to put off until a rainy day. Chances are, by that time it's too late for the children to be able to appropriately incorporate these behaviors into their repertoire of good conduct and virtuous activities. This is something of a potpourri of things for them to learn. Nonetheless, they should be taught -- and early.
PRAYER. Children should understand that, as much as you love them, there is a God who loves them even more. Prayer builds that relationship, and if started early, can lead to a life of spirituality that will guide them through the tough and the great times.
MONEY MANAGEMENT. Just simple talks at the grocery store about why you don't care to purchase certain items can foster an early appreciation for money and how far it goes. Or while your child is dropping coins in his piggy bank, you can explain how money should be handled so that it's not wasted.
VIRTUES/FABLES/PARABLES: HONESTY, INTEGRITY AND CHARACTER. Aesop's Fables are a great way to introduce children to the virtues in life. Bill Bennett also wrote a book called The Book of Virtues which offers great stories for kids on the less tangible things in life that offer us value and give us character.
ETIQUETTE. Mealtime, respect for adults, saying "please," manners and writing thank you notes ... Sadly, these are lost arts in some families. As parents, we need to teach them early so that they are a built-in part of our kids.
THINKING OF OTHERS' FEELINGS BEFORE OUR OWN. Here again, this is something that our culture no longer promotes, unfortunately. We now live in a society which grossly supports getting all we want for ourselves, regardless of how it affects others. We can see it today in road rage, for example. If the parents of the up-and-coming generation do we all we can to reverse that, maybe we can turn our culture around and back to the days when people had consideration for others, too.
PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND EXERCISE. Many children are encouraged to park themselves in front of a TV for hours on end because it's a convenient babysitter for the parents. Granted, there are times like the very long and cold days of winter when there simply isn't anything else to do. Video and computer games are another culprit. And we wonder why there are so many overweight, slothful children out there! As a rule, there are much healthier ways for kids to get entertainment. It takes some imagination on our part, but it's well worth the effort. And it will teach them to get active and creative at an early age.
MODERATION. Here again, our society is really into "bigger and more is better." Not always -- not when it teaches a child to be self-indulgent and possessive. If taught early that moderation is appropriate, it will become commonplace for our children to limit the bad things that seem so good at the time, but in reality are bad for them.
The following list represents but a few of the things that some parents tend to put off until a rainy day. Chances are, by that time it's too late for the children to be able to appropriately incorporate these behaviors into their repertoire of good conduct and virtuous activities. This is something of a potpourri of things for them to learn. Nonetheless, they should be taught -- and early.
PRAYER. Children should understand that, as much as you love them, there is a God who loves them even more. Prayer builds that relationship, and if started early, can lead to a life of spirituality that will guide them through the tough and the great times.
MONEY MANAGEMENT. Just simple talks at the grocery store about why you don't care to purchase certain items can foster an early appreciation for money and how far it goes. Or while your child is dropping coins in his piggy bank, you can explain how money should be handled so that it's not wasted.
VIRTUES/FABLES/PARABLES: HONESTY, INTEGRITY AND CHARACTER. Aesop's Fables are a great way to introduce children to the virtues in life. Bill Bennett also wrote a book called The Book of Virtues which offers great stories for kids on the less tangible things in life that offer us value and give us character.
ETIQUETTE. Mealtime, respect for adults, saying "please," manners and writing thank you notes ... Sadly, these are lost arts in some families. As parents, we need to teach them early so that they are a built-in part of our kids.
THINKING OF OTHERS' FEELINGS BEFORE OUR OWN. Here again, this is something that our culture no longer promotes, unfortunately. We now live in a society which grossly supports getting all we want for ourselves, regardless of how it affects others. We can see it today in road rage, for example. If the parents of the up-and-coming generation do we all we can to reverse that, maybe we can turn our culture around and back to the days when people had consideration for others, too.
PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND EXERCISE. Many children are encouraged to park themselves in front of a TV for hours on end because it's a convenient babysitter for the parents. Granted, there are times like the very long and cold days of winter when there simply isn't anything else to do. Video and computer games are another culprit. And we wonder why there are so many overweight, slothful children out there! As a rule, there are much healthier ways for kids to get entertainment. It takes some imagination on our part, but it's well worth the effort. And it will teach them to get active and creative at an early age.
MODERATION. Here again, our society is really into "bigger and more is better." Not always -- not when it teaches a child to be self-indulgent and possessive. If taught early that moderation is appropriate, it will become commonplace for our children to limit the bad things that seem so good at the time, but in reality are bad for them.
Mia Cronan is a happily married at-home mother of five children, living in Ohio. She owns and edits http://MainStreetMom.com, the magazine for modern mothers with traditional values.
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