It requires a lot of skills and techniques as well as plenty of patience to raise a child today. Keeping children away from using digital devices, which are considered unhealthy for brain development, is not easy. And so is showing them how to properly manage their time.
There are plenty of other important points that you need to discuss with your kids at an early age. Take a look at some of those vital topics in order to create a solid foundation of communication and transparency.
1. Disappointment And Failure
No one is perfect, as we all make mistakes and face disappointments and failures in life. Children are no exception. When they socially interact with each other, they are bound to make mistakes and face disappointments at some point.
There is nothing wrong to act as an emotional umbrella and support your child under such circumstances. However, it is better to take the role of a guide instead of a “saviour”.
There is no way you are going to be around your child forever. Sooner or later, he or she has to learn how to manage such situations. Therefore, the best course of action is to teach how to properly manage setbacks, disappointments, and failures as it happens.
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In addition, instead of giving a shut-up call on silly ideas, you should try to strengthen your child’s problem-solving skills. Ask for possible solutions. The next time your kid comes home complaining about something, discuss how he would change the situation to his favour. This is one step better than just asking about his feelings about it.
Another important trait that you need to inculcate in your child from a young age is self-comparison. Instead of rating their self-worth on traits such as popularity, academic success, and appearance, you must teach your kids to evaluate and value themselves.
You need to teach them that they are human beings and accepting failures and criticism is part of human experience. Research shows that kids who practice self-comparison are able to recover quickly from failures. Such kids are also not afraid of trying new things, as they know how to deal with criticism and failures if they fail.
2. Sex And Other Related Topics
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While it may seem too early for some, sex and sexuality are best discovered in the safety of the home. There are plenty of things that you can relate to while explaining to your kids.
You can initiate the talk while watching a TV show with a pregnant woman in it. Teach them about related topics such as respecting their privacy and that of others. Your child should be able to understand the occasional need for “private time.” He should also be able to learn the value and importance of knocking on the door before coming in.
At the same time, you should also emphasise to your kid that his/her private parts are private and he/she needs to protect them and never allow others to see or touch them except his/her parents or the doctor.
There are going to be a lot of teachable moments that will come your way. You can use such to initiate a more natural conversation with your kids. Keep in mind that you should follow those same rules yourself that you want your kid to learn. Otherwise, the whole exercise will be not as effective.
3. Financial Planning
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Although it may sound like a pretty difficult subject, financial planning is best discussed at an early age. Teach your kid that money has value and every time he/she spends the money it is gone.
It is also suggested that you should use cash while shopping with your kids. Once they fully comprehend how cash is used, you can slowly teach them the same concept using your credit/debit card.
If you want to inculcate the saving habit, it is always a good idea to make them use clear jars. Kids are able to develop this habit once they witness and observe the actual accumulation of their saving efforts.
Another great way to support your kids is to match his/her saving contribution with yours. For example, if your kid saves $1 a day, you can pitch in $1 from your side. This will not only serve as a reward for his/her efforts, it will also reinforce his/her saving habit.
Once your child fully understands the concept of savings and shows his/her interest in this activity, you can gradually introduce four new concepts. You can make him/her distribute the money in four different money jars.
- Jar 1 – Spending Bank – money to be used soon
- Jar 2 – Saving Bank – money to be used later
- Jar 3 – Investment Bank – money to grow
- Jar 4 – Donation Bank – money to give to others
These four new saving concepts will teach them to look beyond their own needs and care for the less privileged. If you are interested in teaching your child how to be prepared to face some of the large expenses that lie ahead with careful planning and investment, you need to make sure to visit our site for details.
Equip your kids
Sooner or later, your kid is going to face all these challenges in life, why not equip him/her with these skill-sets at an early age.
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