by Tara Pringle Jefferson
If I could sum up pretty much everything I want my kids to know before they leave my house and out into the “real world,” these life lessons would make the top 10:
1. Be nice to each other.
2. Learn as much as you can. Read books more often than you watch movies. Expand your vocabulary. If you realize you don’t know the answer to something, go figure it out.
3. Be nice to others.
4. Be focused. Learn your strengths.
5. Love hard.
6. Be good people.
7. Accept when you’ve given something your best and it doesn’t work out. That’s just a life lesson, not a failure.
8. Situations usually work out best for people who choose to make the best out of situations they’re in. Always remember that.
9. It never hurts to look at an argument from the other person’s shoes. Even if you’re convinced you’re right. Especially if you’re convinced you’re right.
BMWK family, what lessons do you want your kids to learn?
10. ?
Tara Pringle Jefferson is a freelance writer living in Ohio with her husband and two kids. Visit her blog, theyoungmommylife.com to read her musings on life, love and motherhood.
{ 8 comments }
Good points..
what do you mean by ‘love hard?’
#1. Put God first.
Howdy: Well I started thinking about a list of things I want my kids to know, but it turned more into nuggets of things that I have learned in my life. So in no particular order, some of the things I want my kids to know are as follows:
You are going to make mistakes, Own them, be responsible for them, but most importantly learn from them.
Life is NOT fair. Because the way that we tend to define fair is getting the things that we want, when we want them and how we want them. Keep in mind that there are 6 BILLION of us who all want the same thing, so the odds of you getting what you think is fair is pretty slim.
Things are never as bad as they seem, but seldom are they as good as they seem either.
Pray BEFORE things are bad, not just BECAUSE things are bad
If you try ,you can find the beauty in anything , and if there ain’t no beauty, then you better make some beauty have mercy listen to me y’all (Earth Wind and Fire reference, y’all old heads will remember the song)
Treat people the way you would want to be treated, and if they don’t treat you kindly in return, be like Jesus and love them anyway.
True Beauty has nothing to do with appearance, and neither does true evil.
Smile at people, it may be the only smile they get that day.
Give your very best. Only you and God know if you are truly giving your best, and winning means doing the best that you can (We can all learn a lesson from the special Olympics)
When you tell someone that you love them, mean it and show it with more than just words.
Thank you for this exercise, it really made me sit and think about the messages that I want my kids to hear, and pass on.
#10) Practice what YOU preach.
True success is measured by one’s obedience to God.
- Be bold. God created you in His image, so it’s audacious for you to not think highly of yourself
- Prayer changes things!
- Set your goals and DON’T QUIT–especially when things get hard
- There is safety in wise counsel
- A pair of lips will say anything…in God we trust, but everyone else, we check out–THOROUGHLY.
- Weigh yourself only by the example of Christ. If any comparisons need to be made, compare yourself to Him, not others
- See yourself through God’s eyes. If He were looking at you, would He be pleased with what He saw?
- Bad company corrupts good character…be careful who you associate with
- Just because a person can spit the Bible out chapter and verse doesn’t mean they are holy…check their character before you get caught up in their charisma
- Learn more what questions to ask before you think you have all the answers.
- Don’t get drunk off the praises of man.
- Stay humble in your God given life…but that doesn’t mean debasing yourself to make someone else feel better
- YOU be the trendsetter…there’s no one else like you on this earth!
- Have an attitude of gratitude…thank God and others for all they are to you and have done for you.
- Learn how to turn your stumbling blocks into stepping stones.
I could go on and on. I wish I would have grasped these concepts when I was a child.
King James said:
what do you mean by ‘love hard?’
~~~~~~~
When I read that one I thought the same thing. Love hard? Doesn’t loving hard make a person controlling or obsessed with their mate/spouse, and it consumes your being/idenity? I think being respectful and loving sincerely makes sense.
Nice post great comments.
I have similar goals for my kids, but also more practical things too like:
-learn how to cook some things
-know how to wash clothes and iron
-know how to grocery shop
-know how to balance a checkbook
When my kids leave my house, I want them to know how to take care of themselves.
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