Prepare Your Kids For A Journey Called Life

Parenting is one of them most difficult things we do as humans. It is no vacation, sure, but it can be extremely rewarding even if we do half a decent job of it. We cannot give them or teach them everything, which would be impossible. What we can do is help them develop certain skills and instill vital values in them. Preparation is half the battle; if we as parents prepare them to face life in the best of conditions then there is no one to stop them from being successful. At the end of the day they will learn their own truths in life growing up, and they will become their own unique selves. Our job as parents is to give them the best possible start. Parents are not the only influence the kids will have in life; other kids they interact with, mainly their friends also play a big part in their lives, and it is a very lasting influence. This is where the moral values and confidence we ingrain in them will help them avoid turning onto a negative or destructive path.

Success is not something you are born with, nor is it something you can simply instill in a kid. You can however plant the seed of success in a child; and with the required skills and care kids can build on it and achieve it for themselves.So what are the essentials that they need to be armed with for success? Well let’s find out shall we?

·Communication

Communication may seem like a trivial skill to put on here. You might say everyone communicates, how is that a skill for success? While everyone does indeed communicate, what matters is how well or easily they can communicate. The real skill is in how kids can portray their feelings, not just to the parents but to the world. Encourage your kids to talk about anything and everything. Good communication can prevent more problems than you can imagine, and if not prevent them, solve them. A lot of conflicts and obstacles can be overcome if there a free-flow of communication.

As a young kid I never talked about sensitive matters or about anything that I thought was embarrassing or something that would make my mother feel sad; but as I grew up I started realizing how effective communication can be. It felt liberating to be able to talk to my mother about everything, it made me truly look at her as a friend and confidant. It gave my confidence a huge boost. I was willing to try things I feared because I knew I had a safe place with my mother to talk and sort it out if needed.

·Bilingualism

A second language at a young age can make a world of difference. Learning a new language at a young age is surprisingly easier compared to learning it as an adult. It is mind-boggling how kids can pick up another language with ease. Bilingual kids tend to be more receptive towards cognitive development and functioning, they are more curious and able to solve problems. But forget the academically driven positives for a minute; a different language means a different culture; this will make your kid aware of the different ways of life. It will open their minds to many different possibilities and not limit their thought process to one single stream. A varied outlook is a must have in this modern world.

·Confidence

Confidence is not a skill you might say, but I say it is the mother of skills! Confidence is an integral part of life; it is an absolute must for kids to make them a force in life. Confidence will enable them to stand up for themselves, fight for what they believe in, express themselves and pursue what they truly love in life. Self-confidence is something that will be very difficult to inculcate in someone as an adult; if they don’t have it already they may never have it, but as a kid it is easy to instill self-belief in them and it will stay with them all their lives. Teenagers are often victim to peer pressure. They may turn to unsafe habits or outright illegal activities due to such influences and it rightly worries many parents, but there is a simple solution to it and that is self-confidence and security. If a teenager is secure about herself or himself and has self-confidence, then peer pressure will not alter their path. They will emphatically swat aside any harmful ideas put to them.

·Creativity

Creativity is a beautiful thing. We say all kids are creative and it is true to a point however, just having it inside is no good if it isn’t encouraged to be expressed is it? In that case it will slowly ebb out of kids. Instead we should let it encourage it, challenge it and let it thrive. There is nothing more beautiful than a person expressing themselves through any form of creativity, but it needs to be allowed to flower in people when they are only children. I feel teenagers are at a fork in their lives at this age when it comes to creativity; if we don’t let them express it in a healthy manner, it may come out in a not so pleasant way.

The modern world we live in has made many things in life quite simple. But as they say, a coin has two sides. Modern life can be just as punishing if we do not know how to cope and thrive in sticky situations.

Technology has enhanced our lives to a point where life is almost unimaginable without it, but can we depend on technology to do everything for us? Certainly not! It may have made our lives easier, it may have made travel and communication, safety and health much better but it cannot do some things for us.

One such vital aspect is raising kids. Technology cannot raise our kids for us; we have to do it ourselves. And I believe most parents would want to do it themselves even if there was another option. We want them to be an extension of ourselves, but better, avoiding the mistakes we made, helping them become bigger and better than we ever were. And there can be no bigger joy in life than watching your kid grow up to be a fantastic and successful person.