20 Things I Want My Kids to Know

I have four children.  The oldest two are daughters, ages 16 and 14.  The youngest two are sons, ages 9 and 6.  Sometimes they all cause me to think to myself "What in the world am I doing?"  Some days feel like wonderful successes.  Other days feel like miserable failures.  I had one of those "miserable failure" days the other day.  It just seemed like nothing went right.  I found myself wondering about and questioning what I was teaching my kids, how effective (or ineffective) I was in doing so, whether they were learning anything, etc.  Later that night as I lay in bed, I finally caught my breath and had a chance to decompress.  I reminded myself that parenting is full of thousands and thousands of small moments.  Some of them go well and some of them don't go so well.  I also reminded myself that the goal is for more of those moments over time to be of the positive variety.  If that's the case, then my relationship with my children will be more positive and the things that I'm trying to teach them will hopefully sink in.

The events of that day also got me thinking about what exactly it was I was trying to teach my children with the issues that had come up (honesty, work ethic, responsibility, etc.).  It reminded me of this little list that I used to read periodically.  I would ask myself if I was doing the things in my own life that would teach my children the lessons on that list.  That day has caused me to pull that list out and review it again.  It made be feel a little more determined to be a better example to them, increase the number of positive interactions I was having with them, and hope that some of these life lessons will stick with them.  Following is the list of things that I want my kids to know.

20 Things I Want My Kids to Know

Passing on Life's Greatest Lessons

by

Hal Urban

1 - Success is more than making money

2 - Life is hard . . . and not always fair

3 - Life is also fun . . . and incredibly funny

4 - We live by choice, not by chance

5 - Attitude is a choice - the most important one you'll ever make

6 - Habits are the key to all success

7 - Being thankful is a habit - the best one you'll ever have

8 - Good people build their lives on a foundation of respect

9 - Honesty is still the best policy

10 - Kind words cost little, but accomplish much

11 - Real motivation comes from within

12 - Goals are dreams with deadlines

13 - There's no substitute for hard work

14 - You have to give up something to get something

15 - Successful people don't find time; they make time

16 - No one else can raise your self-esteem

17 - The body needs nutrition and exercise; so do the mind and spirit

18 - It's OK to fail; everyone else has

19 - Life is simpler when we know what's essential

20 - Essential #1 is being a good person

Monte N. Criddle, LMFT

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