Every parent dreams of the best for their children and aims to raise them right. Parents try their best, but it is best to come to terms with reality and realize that every child is different and can’t possess every skill imaginable. However, from your end, there are specific necessary life skills that you must teach your child as a parent. And these skills are not about teaching your kid how to play a sport, ride a bike or play a musical instrument. These are more about essential life skills that will help your child become responsible, independent, respectful, and better equipped to cope with the world.
- Teach your kid to be a lifelong learner and always read
Like Steve Jobs rightly said, ”Stay hungry, stay foolish. The hunger to learn more and never be satisfied with the knowledge amassed will always work in favour of your child. The more you make your child read and learn, the more you open their mind to an extensive range of knowledge and possibilities. They know more about different facets of life and the world, which makes them wiser and more intelligent. Also, when we say reading, it doesn’t mean that you limit your child to course textbooks only; there are numerous learning avenues. Inspire your children to have an open mind and be receptive to learning from life’s positive and negative situations.
- Teach kids tolerance and respect for diversity
Today’s world is globalized, and your child’s exposure will go way beyond your close knot circle of family and friends. Acceptance of people from all walks and cultures of life is critical. They should be taught to respect and acknowledge people different from them. The value of inclusiveness, teamwork, and tolerance cannot be emphasized enough and plays a crucial role in their success in the future. Encourage your child not to be clique-ish and team up and collaborate with others towards a common goal. This instils a tolerance for opposing views, empathy and the need to consider other people’s opinions and feelings.
- Teach kids to resolve differences harmoniously.
Your child will face opposing views and disagreements at every stage in life. In today’s hyper-competitive world, these things are inevitable. You must help your child practice being level-headed during arguments, disagreements and confrontations. Encourage them not to be impulsive and weigh different angles in a situation. Ask questions such as “what if” and “why” and focus on the problem rather than the person. This makes it easier to control harmful emotions like jealousy, rage and anger.
- Teach kids to adopt the right way to let their voices be heard
As parents, you will not always be there to defend and protect your kids, so teach them to stand up for themselves without being aggressive. They need to say what’s on their mind clearly and respectfully. The skill to communicate effectively and stand up for themselves and others are valuable life lessons indispensable in today’s modern world.
- Teach kids to ask for forgiveness when they are wrong
Everyone makes mistakes, but acknowledging that you were wrong and seeking forgiveness is for the strong. Teach them that there is no embarrassment in apologizing and pardoning others; on the contrary, it is a mark of real courage.
- Teach kids to be kind and involve them in volunteer work
Showing kindness is a sweet virtue; children should be taught to be kind to others and not bully people who are different from them. Being kind means they can touch lives in ways they don’t even know. Inspire kids to display kindness, volunteer, help those not as privileged as them and lend a helping hand each time they can. This will make them compassionate human beings.
- Teach kids to have a positive attitude
Life has ups and downs; it will not always be a string of celebrations and victories. But it is also not going to be gloomy and dull. It would help if you taught children to focus on the positives of life rather than dwelling on the negatives. They need to be resilient, fight back harder, and emerge stronger after failure.
- Teach your kid to be environment friendly
Global warming is a severe threat, and only your kids’ efforts can lend some hope to the planet earth. There is only one planet, and you should teach your kids to try and reduce their carbon footprint. They must do their bit not to waste, recycle things, and try and use renewable forms of energy wherever they can overall care for animals and plants.
While you may try and instil all these life lessons, the international preschool they attend will also be vital in shaping them as good human beings. Through inquiry-based learning and modern education techniques, some of the best international schools in Singapore instil life skills in students that best prepare them for the future.
