Three Important Lessons To Teach Your Children

According to a recent study, 75% of life lessons come from our parents. As a result, this means that the things you are teaching your child right now will likely stick with them for a lifetime. While this may seem daunting, it’s also pretty remarkable. After all, you are helping your child develop the skills they need to thrive in every environment – whether they dream of being an astronaut or a best-selling author.

With that in mind, here are three important lessons you should teach your children.

1. Take care of your body.

Teaching your children to focus on their health comes with many benefits. This is because it will help them “avoid making unhealthy choices and developing lifelong bad habits”. Thankfully, there are various ways you can impart this lesson to your children. For example, you could:

• Make healthy eating fun by trying out new recipes and cooking together so that your children develop excellent culinary skills.
• Encourage them to take good care of their teeth, especially as poor dental hygiene can impact your physical health too. You should encourage them to brush their teeth twice a day, morning and night while also visiting a dentist’s office that specializes in pediatric dentistry at least once a year.
• Help them find a fitness or exercise-oriented hobby that they love, such as gymnastics, dance, or football.
• Lead by example and work to follow a healthy, active lifestyle.

2. Take care of your mind.

Physical and mental health are often linked, meaning it’s equally important that you teach your children to care for their mind and mental well-being too. Again, there are many ways in which you can share this knowledge with your children, for example, you can:

• Learn how to start a conversation with your children about mental health in a way that they understand. For example, you may have to simplify the language they use so that you can speak to them on their own terms.
• Be open and honest about your own mental health, as this will encourage them to be similarly forthcoming. It also encourages them to seek help when they need it.
• Show them the true value of self-care and encourage them to make time for themselves.
• Be a non-judgmental shoulder to cry on when they approach you with a problem, whether they be arguing with their friends or dealing with low confidence. Do not try to minimize their feelings, but help them figure out changes they can make to lift their spirits.

3. Believe in yourself.

Many studies have found that we often get more confident as we age, with many people reporting that their confidence was lowest during their teenage or adolescent years. As a result, you should find as many ways as possible to encourage your children to believe in themselves. For example, you could:

• Compliment them often, focusing more on their skills and abilities than physical traits.
• Let them know that nobody is perfect, and that the only thing we can do in any situation is our best.

What other important lessons should you teach your children? Let me know in the comments below!