What's The Most Important Thing A Parent Can Teach A Child?

Self reliance. And the benefits of being kind to others.

Horrible advice. What's the kid supposed to do when his future wife asks, "Does this make my butt look big?"

As already has been stated, there are so many important things to teach a child, that you can't really choose just one.

That being said, I would say that one of the things you must teach them is that they are uniquely special with God-given natural talents and abilities combined within them, that no one else on earth possesses. This makes them a special gift to the world.

However, if you ask my children, they say that the most important thing I taught them was that "Life is not fair".

All three of them have said this.

I guess I really never realized how important that was to them until my oldest was a senior in high school. There was a parent/teacher/student conference night where the student took the parents to all of their classrooms to meet the teacher and talk. Each classroom had the best of the student's work displayed in the rooms.

When we entered one room and met the teacher, the teacher explained the projects hanging up were from an assignment where they were asked to choose a famous quote that had really impacted their lives in a positive way and create a piece of artwork out of it.

As hubby and I searched the wall looking for our daughter's, I saw numerous quotes from Ben Franklin, Albert Einstein, Thomas Edison, etc., then there was one that read, "Life is not fair!" Author, My mom.

When I saw that, I got all choked up and my eyes welled up with tears. It was my daughter's.

I merely wanted to let my kids know that life wasn't always fair and that sometimes, they would encounter and experience some situations that were completely unfair to them, but that life had a way of evening things out as it went on. I didn't want those injustices and bouts of unfairness to cause them to carry a chip on their shoulder so they could maintain a positive attitude.

I never dreamed those simple words could have impacted them so greatly.

Terra

Talking to my grown sons I was surprised to find they feel they learned more from the hard times than from the "life lessons" I thought I was teaching when life was easier.

When things got tough for a few years they had to pitch in and help and I felt so guilty about that. Now I've learned those were the times that taught self reliance and resilience. Who would have thunk it?

I wanted them to be kind, respect themselves and be happy. What more could you ask?

kay

Now, That was good for a 30 second belly laugh! Thank you.

"How to sell". Damn you Rule!

OK, I'm changing mine to;

Self Reliance
The benefits of being kind to others
How to sell.

Satisfied now?

Added later; That nearly everything that happens is to your advantage, if you just figure out how.

Kay, I would have thunk it. My son never really experienced a hard childhood, But there were times I knew that I had to teach self reliance. And so he would get angry. I would answer any questions, talk to him like an adult, but wouldn't give in.
He would ask "Why are you being so unfair?'

And I would tell him that he had to learn. That I loved him enough that I would let him be angry with me, if I knew it would help him later.

When he grew up, some of the greatest compliments he paid me were about forcing him to be responsible.

You sound like a terrific Mom.

I'm hoping that in encouraging my son to apply his own intelligence instead of my resorting to applying a strong leash, that he won't even need to follow my advice as he grows up (I think I may have watched too many dog whisperer Cesar Millan videos). Kids of today are definitely in different circumstances than when I was a kid. Much of what I learned in school and in life as a kid is basically obsolete nowadays, if it wasn't bogus to begin with.

This is great!!!

...

Let me tweet that.

Joe Mobley

That was brilliant.

My son played poker for a living for a year or so in Las Vegas. I asked him about it. He said that he never plays with professionals or in tournaments. He plays at tables with tourists.

I asked him how he always wins. He said "I get up at Midnight, and start playing at 1AM. And I don't drink". That was it.