One Mom's Journey

My daughter is 3 and a half.  The other day she says to me, "Maman, I cannot wait to be bigger so I can work" - to which I replied "you aren't aloud to grow up that fast".  I don't know what the fascination is for children to want to grow up and work, or grow up and be like Mom and Dad, but I am pretty sure it has something to do with us being their most influential role model.  They see us do all sorts of incredible things that they can't to do yet.  That being said, a lot of what our children learn is through watching and listening to us. You know what is sad?  Is that most of us fail to see that, and we continue to rush through life and miss all those moments where our kids are being kids.

My goal going forward is to try and stop the rush and teach my kids about the truly important things in life.

1. Family is the most Important Thing you will Ever Own not Toys or Cars or HousesIn todays day and age, with soaring populations and global warming, and traffic and sicknesses, you just never know from day to day what is going to happen. They need to learn to not take family for granted.
2. Having Fun is better than winningSounds so cliché and to be honest, I cannot believe I want to teach my kids this - my husband and I are super competitive people, and so our kids have inherited double the competitiveness...it is trouble, I foresee it - so I plan on teaching them that fun is way better than winning. Hopefully that encouragement will rub off on some friends along the way.
3. Food is importantFood has been genetically modified everywhere.  The cereals that we buy are made up of genetically modified corns and marketing is misusing terms like "all natural" and "whole wheat" - I plan on teaching my kids about the differences in hopes that they make the right decisions and that they grow older, stronger and educate their peers.
4. Giving is better than receivingSo far, I have failed miserably at teaching this one, so I plan on working so much harder at it.  My kids are young, so I cannot blame myself for their naiveness.  Knowing what I know about society and the privileged vs the unlucky, I need my children to understand this and work towards giving more than receiving.
5. Complain less and Enjoy MoreThis is a tough one for me, because according to my husband, I can be quite the complainer - and if kids learn the most through observation - I am in trouble.  So I plan on trying to complain less and showing my kids through demonstration how to be grateful and enjoy more.
6. Pleases and Thank you'sP&Q's - the foundation of building nice and kind children.  I plan on reinforcing this constantly, it is (to me) one of the most important and valuable lessons a child should learn. It is the basic form of respect.
7. Be yourself and no one ElseKids learn through mimicking, so in the early years, it appears to be difficult to teach kids to be unique.  I plan on letting them make their own decisions to an extent, and congratulate them on their uniqueness, and try to guide them less with there arts and crafts and learning methods and guide them more towards their individuality.
8. TravelTravel the world and meet new people.  Learn about other cultures so you can respect people of all nationalities.  Learn new cultures and experience new foods and lifestyles.  You will learn more from travelling that you ever will from a book.  The knowledge of culture is invaluable.  
9. Speak with People from Different Walks of LifeLearn about your elders and how they lived. Ask about other people's cultures and lives, discover your heritage, understand history and what history has done for us. The evolution of technology and how it has changed our world and how people interact.  
10. Listen First - Talk Second
    Something I personally have been working on as long as I can remember - listening skills.  Children just want to be heard - so I try super, super hard to listen first then talk. What they have to say is so important.  I will make sure they know this golden rule of listening then talking- it is a high ranker in my world.
11. School is Important - But Life Experience is too
    There are so many other important things in life other than "school".  I put this in quotes because I believe that "school" is so much more than the books and the classroom.  It is about the experience. Respect. Friendship. Fun. Sports. Teamwork. School is a form of discipline, not the end all be all. The grades you achieve are only a reflection of concentration and effort.  But the friendships made and the lessons learned are far more valuable because at the end of it all, your grades will only get you so far.
12. Smell the Roses
    Again, super cliché right?  Well, I have to say it, and I need to work on this one the most.  My children never fail to show me how to stop and smell the roses, so I really need to return the favour. My goal for this one is to try and slow down and enjoy my children as they grow.  Hopefully, they will do the same - and instead of my daughter saying - "I cannot wait to grow up and work like you", maybe she will say things like "I cannot wait to go on vacation again" or even simpler "go to the park and play with my friends."