Most parents want the best for their children and for the most part, they do their best to make sure that their children are well taken care of. Unfortunately, even with the best of intentions, parents still make mistakes that are detrimental to their children. Parents are their children’ first teachers so it is important to bear in mind that sometimes parents teach children what to do and not to do just by modeling it.
The following are five things that parents need to stop teaching their children:
1. You can watch TV as much as you like – Research has proven over and over again that watching a lot of TV is detrimental to young children. Black children are affected even worse than non-Black children because the programs that come on most channels were not created with them in mind so they damages their self-esteem. How about turning the TV off and exploring other fun activities such as sports, music and nature?
2. You don’t have to read – Even though children are encouraged to read, a lot of parents are not modeling this important lesson. Many people do not read books after they finish their formal education. Kids who grow up in house-holds with adults that don’t read are less likely to read. Parents need to read for their own personal development and they also need to read to and with their children.
3. You can yell to get your point across – It is understandable that sometimes a parent raises their voice but this is not an ideal nor effective form of communication. As parents, it’s not okay to yell at each other or at the kids. Again, children tend to model what they see so it is better to teach children to respect themselves and others and learn to communicate clearly, calmly and respectfully.
4. It’s okay to give up – Anytime a parent starts something and then does not complete it, it teaches their children that it is okay for them to give up as well. Parents need to teach children to complete anything that they start, even with small thingssuch as cleaning their room or doing a fun learning puzzle.
5. Work is the most important thing – While most parents don’t necessarily tell their children that work is more important than them or anything else, the truth is that most people spend most of their time and energy working. Children need to understand that work and service are important parts of life but family and fun are important too. Everyone’s life needs balance and children need to know this from a young age.
(Via Black Home School)
