What Life Lessons Have You Taught Your Children Recently?

What life lessons have you taught your children recently?

From Melisa Thorne:

One important life lesson that I am teaching my children is: Honesty.

I always tell them, “I will never get mad at you for telling the truth,” and,  “There are no secrets between you and me.”

I recognize that as my children get older, their problems and struggles will become more complex, and I want them to feel comfortable coming to me and telling me the truth about things. The more I can do now to strengthen our trust, the easier it will be for them to come to me with the tough stuff.

Sure, if my daughter tells me, “I had to sit out during circle time for not being a good listener,” naturally, I’m disappointed.  I’ll ask questions like, “What happened?” and, ”How did that make you feel?” But I try not to get upset because after all, she did tell me honestly. 

Even if the truth means that she is admitting she did something wrong, I use the opportunity to explain how behaviors like not listening and not following classroom directions will make school and making friends more difficult in the future, and despite my disappointment of her behavior in a particular situation, I do often make a point to say, “I’m glad you told me the truth."