It appears that the current society is intended to break apart families. We are always connected to the outside world, yet disconnected from one another. More than how much “love” they provide, our kids are more focused on how many “likes” they receive. It is not impossible to raise a child that values their family and is courteous; it simply takes time and effort. Put away your phone and laptop, and try one or more of these suggestions.
Volunteer Together
Observing what others lack is the best way to increase gratitude for what you do have. Volunteer at a foodbank or soup kitchen with your entire family. During the Christmas season, adopt a family and include your kids in choosing gifts for other kids. Offer to provide meals to the bedridden. Spend time with the elderly who don’t have relatives by paying them visits in a nursing facility.
Your children will learn firsthand through any of these activities how fortunate they are to have a roof over their heads, food on the table, and family to share it with. Additionally, it will prepare them for a lifetime of volunteerism, which is crucial because there will always be people in need.
Share Chores
Children must comprehend the dedication required to maintain a home. Children will have a much greater understanding of the amount of labor needed after they witness what their parents go through to ensure that hot meals are cooked each evening, clean clothing are hung in the closet, and the house is clean and neat.
You should expect your kids to clear the table and put dishes in the dishwasher after they have helped you prepare meals. Ask them to assist you with folding and storing your clothing. Any child may assist around the house, regardless of their age. While older children may vacuum and even clean bathrooms, younger children can place their own toys and dust.
Celebrate Your Heritage
Make sure your children get to spend time with their grandparents if your household is fortunate enough to have living ones. Asking straightforward questions such, “What do we have now that you didn’t have when you were (insert child’s age) can help to facilitate interactions between your children and their grandparents.” and see in awe when your kids learn that individuals they know grew up with indoor plumbing, televisions, and the internet.
If the grandparents are not available, tell your kids about their heritage—not just their ethnicity and family history, but also what has been significant to your family historically. An excellent approach to do this is by passing down heirlooms from generation to generation and displaying them as décor. Anything from a piece of furniture to jewelry might be considered an heirloom. Your children will be able to connect the past with the present by hearing the tale of why that item was considered valuable enough to be saved and passed down.
Establish Traditions
By creating traditions, you’ll offer your kids something to look forward to and remember fondly. It’s not necessary for traditions to be complicated or expensive to have an impact. Simple examples are building a large family of snow angels in the backyard after the first snowfall of the year or gathering seashells while taking a summertime walk along the beach.
As they become older, your kids will begin to understand how the routine activities you’ve done with them year after year have given them security and comfort. They will treasure the memories made when spending time together as a family and may even continue some of the customs with their own children.
It is not difficult or expensive to educate your kids the importance of family, as you can see from the tips above. It only involves being there, paying attention, and exchanging tales. As parents, it is our responsibility to teach these values in our kids. If we don’t additionally nurture their emotional development, it isn’t enough to only feed them.
Most kids will take it for granted that their parents care about them enough to want to teach them these things, but you may find comfort in knowing that if you teach these lessons correctly, your kids will grow up to be kind and considerate adults. Their offspring are our legacy in this world, and they are our legacy. Our greatest achievement as parents is educating kids to understand and respect family.