10 Things to talk to your kids about
Tiger girl talking on the phone
Kids these days grow up much faster than we think. There are certain things which we need to talk and start to explain to them while they are young.
Sometimes we may assume that our child is too young to understand the concepts which we wish to teach or convey to them. We tell ourselves that it’s too early to approach the topic with our kids and we should wait till they are much older so they will be able to understand better.
We put things off and as a result may never find the “right moment” to get around letting your child know what you have been meaning to tell him/her.To me there is never a “right” moment and if we wait around for it you will never get around to doing it.
What for put off what you are able to do now? You be surprised how advance the mind of a two year old is and that she really is able to understand what you wish to say.
Here is a list of ten things which I will/have been talking to my kids about.
- We are always here for you as your parents.
No matter where you are or what time it is in the day they can count on us to be there for you. - Trust yourself
We may not be there with you 24/7 so you will need to make your own decisions at time. Do be confident that you are able to make your own decisions. Trust in yourself. - Treasure your body
Your body is a sacred part of you which shouldn’t be randomly shared with others or abused. Take care of your own health and mind. Parts of the body which are private should remain as so- PRIVATE. Do think twice before giving into the pleasures of the flesh and regretting it later on. You have been informed about the various dangers/ consequences that come with a intimate relationship with others. You do know what is appropriate and in-appropriate behaviour. - Stand by your morals and values
Diligence, respect, honesty are just some of the values which you have been taught since young. They will serve you well throughout your life. These values will keep your rooted and be your anchor. - No topic is taboo or off limit.
Sex and Death which used to be something hidden in the cupboard and left up to self discovery during my time is not something which is off limit at home. The kids are entitled to know about these issues regardless of their age. There are many age appropriate props/ books which can be use to facilitate their understanding these days. - No one is perfect
As a human we do err and have our fail moments. We do not know the answer for everything nor need the answer for every questions that we have in life. The thing that we need to remember is that we need to give it our best and not give up without even trying. - We live in an imperfect world
We live in a scary world. It can be unsafe and harmful and not every person that we meet has our best interest. You need to be vigilant and look out for yourself. - Place GOD as your top priority.
Always remember to put GOD at the top of your list followed by family then self. This will remind yourself that it is because of your creator that you are existing here in this world. - Do not covet what others have.
The grass may not be greener on the other side. You may not live in a bungalow house or be driven around in a Ferrari but you have been given the best that we can afford. In fact you can consider yourself to be extremely lucky to have been born in a place where there is no natural disasters and you do not worry about a roof on over your head or food to eat. - Be flexible and adaptable.
Things change and people change. Nothing is really absolute these days. Buildings can be torn down and rebuilt. Be open to the ever changing environment which you are in and seize the opportunities and chances which come your way.
What would you be talking to your kids about?
August 19, 2013 @ 5:56 pm
great list and I do talk to Dino about all that. I never want him to be afraid to tell us anything, I want him to love his body enough to respect it to keep it safe, healthy, and protected. I want him to know, and he does, that God is always there for him. Yes there is evil in the world and we must always look for the good people.
again…great list..going to pin this.
August 19, 2013 @ 6:34 pm
This is a very important list. Thanks for sharing.
August 19, 2013 @ 8:25 pm
What a super list…I’ve always been very open with my kids on all these topics –I found starting young and keeping the discussion age appropriate make it a little easier when they get older. The discussion has been started so now they feel comfortable approaching us with it.
August 19, 2013 @ 9:41 pm
Thanks for a great, great list! It’s worth printing and revisiting many times during those growing up years!
August 19, 2013 @ 10:54 pm
We have talked to the boys about most of these things but honestly the topics of coveting/greed/materialism have been the hardest for us to get through to them it seems. I’m thinking that true appreciation takes more than talking. I’d love to take them somewhere and show them how much they truly have.
August 20, 2013 @ 12:42 am
Great list! You’ve covered everything that should be on the list. Only problem is my son can’t wait for me to die. Coz the other day he asked. when you and daddy die, can i take my money to buy ipad! I dunno to laugh or cry at that!
August 20, 2013 @ 4:05 am
This is an excellent list of things to discuss with your kids. It is important to instill your values into your child but give them a small amount of leeway to make their own decisions and conclusions. The goal of a parent it to teach them between right and wrong. Having a religious background, I feel that God is very important in our lives and we instill that in our children. We want them to know Jesus to the have a relationship with him.
August 20, 2013 @ 7:50 am
This a great list, definitely worth sharing. Having an open line of dialog is essential in parenting.
August 20, 2013 @ 8:39 am
A great list of topic to talk to kids. I will use it as a guide. I find sex education is a topic hard to teach ….
August 20, 2013 @ 8:28 pm
I love this list, Dominique. These values are so important to instill in our children. I also believe in talking to them early. If we as parents don’t teach them, someone else will and it may not be lessons we want them to learn.
August 21, 2013 @ 9:03 am
I love this list. All 10 of them. Definitely stealing them – our kids grow up in a society so different from ours that I cannot help but be worried about the values and attitude that they have in life. Thank you for sharing
August 21, 2013 @ 9:43 am
I love this list. I grew up in a household with a lot of taboo topics, but I plan to remove them all when Yuri grows up. By the way, that’s one cute phone!
August 21, 2013 @ 8:15 pm
Thanks for sharing such a wonderful list. I definitely think kids these days shouldn;t be left in the dark and should be confident to open up to their parents. And as long as we let them know that we are there to listen, I am sure open communication between us parents and kids won’t be difficult. 🙂
August 22, 2013 @ 3:34 pm
Good share! Depending on the situation, I talk to my daughter about similar topics on this list. Whenever it applies, I go and really pound the message in hoping it sticks 🙂
August 23, 2013 @ 11:48 pm
thank you for sharing this list. when my son grows up a little bit bigger, i will definitely instill these values to him, too.
August 28, 2013 @ 7:37 pm
One of the things I always assure my little girls is on your list. I tell them that they can tell me anything. I don’t like them to grow up keeping secrets from because they are afraid.