How to Grow Great Kids
By Sandy Schroeder
We all want the best for our kids. But making that happen is a little like gardening. You have to do a whole lot of prep. Then you watch, wait, and hope for good weather. As you go along, you try to yank out little weeds before they become big ones.
As you get into the details, the plot thickens. As you change diapers, move onto preschool, thread your way through friends, family and communities, each part can be challenging and amazing. Avoiding hovering, but still keeping your hand close by, is crucial.
Start Early with Little Chores – Even the youngest child wants to be involved, and wants to be praised for helping. Go with that. Let them help pick up, clean up, or wash the dog. Assign tasks that they need to do for themselves, like making their bed, and ones they need to do for their family, like taking out the trash. If they never have chores they miss key lessons. Knowing you can take care of yourself, you are part of a team, and how to do hands-on skills comes with chores.
Give Your Best and Expect the Same – Let them see you work in the kitchen or the garage. Teach them as you go, showing them how to cook or use tools. Tell them about your job and take them to work with you if you can. Follow their grades, and talk with their teachers to let them know you care about their future. See what they want to do, and try your best to support it.
Teach Moderation – Learning how to control anger, work toward goals and cooperate with others helps them fit in and succeed.
Accept Ups and Downs – Learning not to jump in and help your child win every battle can be hard to do. But when you step back and let them learn on the job, in their classroom, and on the field, they learn to rely on their own abilities, and accept the day-to-day reality of wins and losses.
Foster Interaction – Knowing how to successfully relate to others is recognized and rewarded in life. Provide lots of opportunities for your kids to have friends and get to know and understand people of all ages and types.
Make the Time to Be There – No matter how many electronic gadgets, or special classes you provide for your child, they still need as much one-on-one time as you can give. Taking a walk after dinner, or spending time on the weekends, gives them a chance to really let you know what is going on in their lives.
The best judge of what your child needs is you. What they need can change daily. Hang in there and enjoy!