Perhaps you always told yourself you’d never become that person who looks for a teachable moment around every corner. Maybe you thought you’d be the cool mom who can connect with your child on their level and you could sit down and talk about anything that came to mind. How has that worked out for you?
No matter how cool you think you are, your kids will likely think you’re a bit of a dork. This is okay; it’s natural for kids to consider their parents lame. But, it also means they don’t listen to the vital life lessons you have to share with them. So, how can you make your life lessons relevant to kids to ensure they are effective?
Step Back
Sometimes, you are not equipped to hand out life lessons as effectively as you’d like to, especially if the lessons you want to share aren’t as relevant to your kids as they used to be. However, some excellent alternatives allow you to get your point across, even without saying anything.
Using the magic of TV, film, music, and other media can offer important life lessons that will entertain your kids at the same time. They can learn about values by watching a Christmas Switch movie while enjoying the activity. If you feel uncertain about how much you know about a specific topic, it may be better to step back and let more qualified sources do the talking.
Don’t Just Lecture Them
You perhaps know as well as anyone else that lecturing isn’t enjoyable, and it is usually ineffective when trying to share your wisdom with your kids in the hope they learn something. Instead, you need to look for small but valuable opportunities that can provide teachable moments.
There’s no need to sit your kids down and talk, talk, talk at them for 20 minutes at a time. You should instead look for relevance and the small opportunities that pop up each day. As much as you want to put your point across, you also need to make sure they understand, so asking them questions and generating a discussion can also be effective.
Model Inspiring Behavior
Sometimes, it isn’t enough to merely say. If you want to pass on the knowledge that matters, you need to show your kids how to behave. Showing is always a better approach than telling them. You can use these opportunities to demonstrate how even small acts of kindness can make a significant difference whether close to home or farther away.
Being a good person should come naturally to everyone, but sometimes kids need to see this in action to know how to respond, especially if they are surrounded by bad influences elsewhere. These influences could come from the media they consume or simply from friends trying to show off. If you can make the point that being an inspiration is a good thing, they will understand their lessons more easily.
Do Something Fun
One of the best ways to make life lessons more relevant is to do something fun. Sports and activities are a good way to keep busy, but they can also encourage kids to learn other, more important things. If they play in a team, they can learn the value of working together and collaboration, which teaches them how to help others.
Even solo activities like hiking or walking can teach them something important. If they are surrounded by nature, you can generate discussions about sustainability and the environment. They can see real trees and wildlife. This can be more powerful than watching documentaries or other videos as it puts them right there.
Encourage Them to Learn
Raising curious kids makes it easier to have relevant discussions as their interests stretch further than the average child. This approach is also excellent for empowering their education and can help them excel in school, putting them in a stronger position to succeed later in life.
The more you encourage their passion for learning, whether at school or independently, the easier it will be to help them discover and embrace the myriad of life lessons you have to teach them. They might find some other lessons all by themselves, too.
Lessons Learned
Every parent should find ways to teach their kids all about life to prepare them for the day they move out, get a job, and need to fend for themselves. But, you mustn’t come across as nagging them. Your kids don’t want to feel like everything they do is placed under the microscope. So, look for approaches they can relate to and hopefully learn something valuable.
