How To Teach Your Children Self-Reliance and Potential
Self-reliance and potential are two very important values that
I'd highly recommend parents teach their children.
Self-reliance refer to the acceptance of responsibility for and
the consequence of one's own actions and performance. It is so
common to see people blame luck, circumstance or someone else
for things that are not up to expectation. If a person want to
be successful, he must take responsibility of his action and
results, whether it is a positive or not so positive result.
Potential means trying to be one's best self and asking the best
from oneself. It also refer to the conscious rejection of
mediocrity. Self-reliance has to do with taking the blame for
negative things that happen And potential has to do with taking
a little credit and taking the right kind of pride in what we
are able to become and able to accomplish.
A person with both self-reliance and potential helps others by
accepting responsibility and doing their best i the world Those
who don't have these values often hurt others by blaming them
and by failing to develop the gifts and talents that could serve
or enlighten or benefit other people.
Set Yourself As Role Model
Demonstrate to your children that you value these values and
live by the principles. Show your children how you are doing
your best to improve. Talk about things you think you're good at
and working to be better at them.
For example in our home, I value my family greatly. I want to
have as much time as possible with my loved ones and see my
children grow and develop in the best possible way. To achieve
this goal, I do not like to work for others in a corporate
environment. I want to run my own businesses from home. And over
the years I have learned and developed the skills and knowledge
that allows me to do internet businesses from home and building
relationship with people on the net. It is a strength that I am
proud of and it helps me to fulfill my goal of having more time
with my family. I communicate often to our 4-year-old daughter
about this goal and explain to her about the things I do on the
internet. She often see me reading books and learning about
online businesses. I also promise her that papa will teach her
these internet business skill along the way. She is also very
happy about what I do because she can now see her dad more often
at home.
In setting yourself up as an example to your children, show
pleasure in things you do well. Also, be obvious about taking
the responsibility for mistakes you make. If you have done
something wrong, tell your children "Dear, it is papa's fault. I
could have done differently by..."
Watch Your Children
Help your children recognize their gifts and develop their
natural potential. We must know our own potential before we can
reach it. Your children have their own uniqueness and you can't
mould them into whatever you please. Rather, they are like
'seeds' which have their own and distinct gift and potentials.
We can never change an oak into an apple tree. But we can watch
and recognize as early as possible who they are - and then
nourish and encourage them to be the best of whatever they are.
As parents, we must find out who our children truly are and not
confirm them to who and what we wish they were or extend our own
egos on them.
For example, if your children are talented in arts, music, or
sports and have the aspiration to do something related to their
talents when they grow up, don't impose your desire on them that
they must be doctors, lawyers or engineers. Success does not
confine to just certain occupations or jobs.
Praise Your Children
To help your children build self-reliance, you need to reinforce
their self-image, individuality and build their confidence in
believing in themselves. Research has shown that well rounded
and happy children often comes from home with very supportive
parents and receive regular praise and recognize from people
they love.
Catch your children doing something good and when they do,
praise them effusively. When they make mistakes. help them
accept responsibility for it and then praise that acceptance to
the point that their pride in their self-reliance outshines
their concern over the shortcoming.
When our children posses the value of self-reliance and
potential, they feel the growth of individuality and
self-esteem. If they don't. they tend to become followers in the
standard ruts of life. And we as parents can help a great
difference.