[pinit count=”horizontal”]
Teach Your Children “How to Fish”
Are you preparing your kids for the real world? As the saying goes, “Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime.” Here are 13 guiding principles to teach your kids:
Be self-reliant. Don’t allow yourself to become overly dependent on others. It can’t be done for you; it must be done by you.
Own your life. Make good choices and accept responsibility for your actions. Your life is determined by the sum of the choices that YOU make.
Face the facts. Every day isn’t filled with rainbows. Be prepared to accept the good with the bad — even roses have thorns.
Establish realistic expectations. You don’t get what you want; you get what you deserve. Period.
Get your hands dirty. You’ll start at the bottom and remain there until you demonstrate you can handle more.
Learn a thing or two. Allow your mentor to guide, but never to perform, an activity for you. This will instill confidence and ensure that learning takes place.
Take it slow. Don’t bite off more than you can chew at first. Build confidence and momentum through small wins.
Don’t blame — learn. Make mistakes when the consequences are small. That way, you’ll know exactly how to handle things when it matters most.
Don’t baby yourself. Show some grit when you’re confronted by challenges. Determination is habit forming; so is quitting.
Take one for the team. Work hard. You’re expected to pull your own weight, not to weigh down the team.
Invest in yourself. Education and experience are precious. Everything you learn makes you more valuable, and the benefits will remain with you through life.
Accept “no” as a gift. People who don’t indulge your every whim are teaching you “how to fish.” They’re giving you the gift of confidence, strength, and self-reliance.
Work hard; work smart. Nothing is accomplished without hard work, dedication, and commitment. It takes many years to become an overnight success.
What Are You Teaching Your Kids?
Please leave a comment and tell us what you think or share it with someone who can benefit from the information.
Additional Reading:
15 Ways to Pass Your Values On to Your Kids
Parenting: How to Raise Happy and Productive Children
My Kid the Superstar
Are You Preparing Your Kids for the Real World?
Make Good Choices
Parenthood Isn’t Child’s Play
If you like this article, subscribe to our blog so that you don’t miss a single post. Get future posts by RSS feed, email or Facebook. It’s FREE.
Sir ,I am truly a fan of ur strong mindset. The way you express every thought in your blog are inspiring.
Thanks so much SG. I’m glad you like it 🙂
Have an awesome day.
Best,
Frank
Thank you for writing excellent articles on character development for children. And “refresher” articles for adults, who have sometimes, “lost our maturity”…….
With appreciation…
Pamela Michael
My pleasure Pamela 🙂
Our world may have changed, but the importance of integrity has not. As leaders, role models, and parents, we must strive to utilize every opportunity available to us to reinforce the values and beliefs that we hold dear. If you instill good values in your children, you give them everything! If you don’t pass your values on to your kids, someone else will.
Thanks for taking the time to write.
Best,
Frank