I realised at a very early phase of my motherhood that my kids love emulating me. Whether it is the quintessential sharp tone of my voice while talking to the house help or my weird habit of biting nails when I’m nervous, they are just at it all the time! As much happiness as it brings me to watch my adorable babies trying to be like me, it also sparked an idea in my head. If they are so good at mimicking me, I could teach them crucial life lessons by just acting them out.
Initially, it was indeed difficult to literally practice what I preach, but here’s the thing: If you consciously strive to be better at something, you’ll get there eventually! So, I thought I would curate a list of moral values that I taught my boys by simply following them myself.
Kindness
I want my kids to always be kind, irrespective of the situations they are faced with. It builds an immense amount of character and eventually, your kids are sure to turn into classy adults who possess incredibly good character. I inculcated the habit of being kind to everyone and not snapping at little things by simply doing it. So, when my husband tells me he needs to focus on watching the cricket match instead of helping me in the kitchen, I simply agree with him and move on with my chores. It is of utmost importance that your kids treat everyone (animals, people, nature) with sheer kindness and gentleness.
Being responsible
I am a little irresponsible, and it shows in the way I handle things. So, this is one area that took real work, even for me. Your kids need to know that irrespective of the outcome (positive or negative), you always need to take responsibility for your actions. If one of my boys make a mistake, instead of yelling at them, I try to make them look at the whole thing as a learning experience. It can be frustrating as a parent to not lose your cool, but the effects are definitely long-lasting. It has certainly made my boys more humble and they display a willingness to learn now more than ever.
Motivation
To help your kids achieve self-awareness, it is very important that you always encourage a ‘motivation mindset’ in the family. It’s important to let your kids know that you appreciate them despite their shortcomings. My boys are constantly trying to live up to our expectations and sometimes the very acknowledgement of their efforts goes a long way in developing a positive, healthy outlook towards life. Both my boys have developed the habit of writing down their short-term and long-term goals in order to achieve more clarity in their direction and stay motivated.
Self-love and care
This is so important in today’s age of social media, peer pressure and electric cars! We, as parents, need to understand that there is a big difference between being responsible and over-burdening yourself with tasks. The latter just drains you feeling like an underachiever. My first-born, Aarav, has a tendency to overwork and overexert himself, and it just gets worse when there’s a test or exam the next day. I always encourage him to take a minute so that he feels unrestricted and clears his head. Free-time or play-time should be a must-have in your child’s daily routine.
Kids are way smarter than what we give them credit for! The more you treat them like adults, the more open they become to hearing you out and actually sharing their problems with you. My kids wanting to talk about their issues with me, that’s a huge win for me any day!
Do you have a specific incident in mind where your child held a moral high ground that made you extremely proud? Do let me know in the comments section below!
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