Five Things Your Kids Need To Know to Make It in Life
These aren't easy days to raise children - at least raise them
to be well-rounded productive citizens. If you are concerned
about how to do that, consider the following 5 keys to
cultivating productive children.
Teach them to...
Think Right
When our kids get home from school, class has definitely not
ended. MTV, Jerry Springer, and even that blue dog have
something to say to young pliable minds. How can we be more in
control? For starters, take time to talk with your kids. The
best way to teach correct thinking is to find out what they're
thinking. Another great idea to nurture correct thinking is to
reward children for doing it. Make a big deal about intellectual
accomplishments like reading books, good grades, and extra
curricular activities. Generally, what we emphasize to our
children as important becomes the foundation for their thinking
process in the future.
Plan Right
Many kids are growing up without any knowledge of how to
organize and plan their lives. Teaching them how to plan their
day, their school assignments, their extracurricular events,
etc. will only aid them in their adult lives to be more
productive and responsible. One simple way to begin is to
require things like chores and homework to be done before TV and
video games. This simple task begins what will be a lifelong
activity of processing the affairs of daily living. As children
get older, increase responsibilities proportionately. Give them
room to fail. If they do, show them where they fell short and
guide them back on task. These lessons will last a lifetime.
Love Right
Basically, the best advice about relationships for this short
article is this: Children will most likely model how they see
their parents or influencers handle relationships. If they see
respect in action, they will respond in kind. If they see good
communication skills at work, they will learn from that. If they
observe compassion and understanding, they will respond in the
same way. Many times how children perceive how their parents
relate to one another will influence how they treat their future
spouse should they marry. What they see is what they'll be.
Budget Right
The only way we will curb out of control consumer debt, is to
get out of it ourselves and to teach it's woes to our children.
If you are in debt, show your children the effects and what you
are doing to reduce it. If you are not in debt, show your
children how you did it (very important) and the benefits you
enjoy as a result. Either way, they learn a valuable lesson.
Give Right
Our world is a needy place. Generosity is a wonderful attitude
to nurture. The best way to nurture it is to do it. Allow your
children to see you giving to your church, the needy man on the
sidewalk, or simply doing a kind deed for a neighbor. There has
never been a greater need for generosity in our world. Let's
teach it to our children by example so that they can carry it
into the next generation.
Think, plan, love, budget, and give: The ingredients that
cultivate productive children.