Parents are their child’s first, and arguably most important, teachers. From the very beginning, our children are watching and learning from our behaviors. Not just what we say, but what we do. And there are some essential life skills we can impart to our children from an early age, according to experts:
Vulnerability
One of the most important life skills people have, or don't have, is the ability to put their feelings into words and then share their thoughts and feelings, constructively with the people closest to them, explains author Aline Zoldbrod, Ph.D.
Manners
Parents are the primary influence on simple manners like saying please and thank you, says life coach Ellen Kamaras. According to child psychologist Dr. Haim Ginot, the best way to teach children manners is to model good ones: common courtesy, respect, being on time, gratitude, etc.
How to love
Through their words, actions, and even their presence, parents demonstrate what love looks like and how it is expressed. Whether they show kindness and warmth — or handle disagreements with respect or resort to blame and criticism — these behaviors shape a child’s understanding of love and its role in relationships.
Judgment
Judgment and criticism of other people (and self) is learned from parents, states love and relationship coach Cassady Cayne. How we hear our parents talk about others affects how we talk to ourselves in our minds later, and how we interact with people for the rest of our lives.
Resilience
Resilience is an essential life skill, explains Ellen Luborsky, Ph.D. It means being able to adapt, recover from difficult experiences, and keep hold of your self-esteem. When parents convey a sense of trust in their children they give the foundation of this ability. When they encourage a child to find his solutions they are helping him trust themselves to figure things out.
Children can also pick up negative habits from their parents. Read the full article here.
The essential role parents play in shaping the adults their own children will become cannot be understated. Think about the skills that have most helped you succeed in your own life. Or the ones you wish you had developed earlier. Then work on ways to model those for your children. You’ll never regret helping them get off on the best possible foot in life!