What Legacy Are We Leaving Our Children?

Children can seem exhausting, annoying, wonderful, loud and funny all at the same time. They are a lot of work especially in the beginning years but what we need to realize is that they are our future so what we do with them in the early to teen years is important because they will become the leaders while we behold the golden years. How we raise them now affects how our future is in our later years and in theirs. When you see how our current situation is with illiteracy in schools, and crime, it can seem daunting to us.

Still, we can change our future by giving our children a good foundation, morals and values they can think with. I was a teacher for ten years and I learned a lot from that experience. The main thing that I learned was that the more attention you put on something, the more the children responded to that. For example, if some students were behaving badly and I constantly put attention on them being bad, then that is what I would get from them. But if I switched gears and put attention on the things they were doing right, then I noticed that they would try harder to do the right thing. It is something I noticed time and again.

It is interesting to note that when you are in a situation where you see many different children together, you can see what kind of up-bring they have had. Here is what I have observed:

a) A calm child has had an environment where he or she has been allowed to express their thoughts and has been allowed to contribute to the family. This child has been listened to and they are made to feel that they are important and have a place in the family. A child will want to contribute in his or her own way and that could be drawing you a picture or bringing you a flower. To ignore this is a big mistake. As a child this may be the only way they can contribute to the family because they are so small.

b) If a child is acting up and behaving badly and you constantly harp on them about that then they are made to feel that this is the only way to get attention and therefore will continue to do so. If you switch gears and start praising them for what they do right and ignore them or take away their privileges when they are behaving badly then they start to learn that if they want something that they have to be good in order to be a part of this group and get what they want. Then you have started to direct them to strive to be good and contribute to society. It will ultimately help them to grow into a responsible individual and your life will be better for it.

There is a motivational print called "Direction" which I love that states "There are two important things we can give our children, one is roots, the other is wings". I love this saying as it is so apt. Lets make sure our children have a good foundation for us, our children and their children.

Willie Jones

Willie Jones is a freelance writer, researcher, floral designer, and artist. "When Art Inspires, Dreams can Become Reality". http://www.artinspires.com "Make sure you enroll in the free motivational poster drawing. All winners receive a free framed print."

---

Walking The Walk

Direct Answers - Column for the week of July 14,... Read More

Using Appreciation to Make a Difference

When in 1996 a local Secondary School opened, the staff... Read More

What in the World are You Doing?

Here is the typical life ? typical, though not everybody... Read More

A Feline Example On Courage

Fangs. Killer claws. Hisses, grrrs...and later, yelps. Who is not... Read More

Practice Being Like a Child

Remember the master teacher once said 2000 years ago, "Unless... Read More

Shame and Guilt: A World of Difference

Learning to distinguish between two powerful emotions - superficially very... Read More

Dolphin Figurines evoke images of wild dolphins: How Do Dolphins Communicate?

Researchers are seeking to identify how dolphins communicate. Unfortunately it... Read More

A Life Time of Strategic Thinking

You may be one of the thousands who think "Strategic... Read More

Stay Inspired

Two years ago I was in a wheelchair and told... Read More

Full Disclosure

Direct Answers - Column for the week of April 21,... Read More

Everyone Has Been Hurt...Part 1

I want to share some things with you that I... Read More

Built in Judge

In this world we don't have to afraid to anybody... Read More

The Secret Of Lasting Personal Change

Why do so many of us end up frustrated when... Read More

Meatballs: Friend, or Foe?

We all have those moments, don't we? We're right in... Read More

A Key In Hand Is Worth A Thousand On My Desk

A key fault I have, and I can only talk... Read More

The Power of Inner SELF

I am sharing one of the great insights.The fear that... Read More

A Pickup Line

Direct Answers - Column for the week of November 11,... Read More

The Right Approach

Direct Answers - Column for the week of June 9,... Read More

Create Your Own Self Esteem - Part 1

Self-esteem is something that we all wish we had more... Read More

Put To The Sword

Direct Answers - Column for the week of December 23,... Read More

Where You Can Find Sympathy

Ask any of my kids and they'll tell you immediately... Read More

Who is My Mother?

Text: Matthew 12:46-50, Mark 3: 31-35, Luke 8:19Mother's Day has... Read More

Computers and Internet: Inspiring Us to Create

The Internet is sometimes criticized (usually by parents who think... Read More

What If?

What If? What if I can't? What If I... Read More

Playing With Fire

Direct Answers - Column for the week of October 21,... Read More

Do You Feel Headed For Shipwreck?

The ocean liner Achille Lauro sailed perpetually under a dark... Read More

Cool Children

It's funny how an acquaintance from the past just pops... Read More

I Am Unique

We have given a lot of thought, paid an indecent... Read More

Bad Blood

Direct Answers - Column for the week of August 26,... Read More

Breaking Bonds

I am just out of high school, and I have... Read More

Tighten Your Connection

It was my first and last experience with a pneumatic... Read More

There Is Always Room For Improvement

When I was twelve my parents bought me a five... Read More

Inspiration: Some Things Ive Noticed Along the Way So Far

Let's file this one under the heading of random musings... Read More