I Don’t Sugar Coat Life With My Kids

It’s so easy to allow your children to grow up in a bubble, but it can be a big mistake in my opinion. I believe we are simply not preparing our children for some of the harsh realities of life, and let’s be honest, life can be harsh and difficult to cope with at times.

It’s a very difficult balance, especially when your children are young. How much should you protect them from some of the shocking things that happen in the world, and how much should you show them? However, I firmly believe that sugar coating life is a big mistake. Letting them believe that everybody in the world is nice and wouldn’t hurt a fly is of course, as we all know, total nonsense. Sadly the human race is full of people that do hurt children and adults, and think nothing of it.

We need to prepare our children from a young age to be able to deal with these types of individuals and more importantly teach them the ability to able to spot evil people, and help keep them safe.

All five of my children have grown up in a very quiet suburb in a large city. It was not until the oldest three entered high school that their eyes were open to the fact that not all kids go to excellent primary schools which they did. Schools that academically achieve, and there is no doubt that this school prepared them academically. The one thing that they lacked to prepare them for was to be a little bit more streetwise. The reason being is they lived in a bubble that surrounded the suburb they lived in so when they arrived for their first day in high school, it was without a doubt a shock to the system. I always remember my eldest telling me that some of the children were swearing a lot, which did make me chuckle a bit!

My own childhood was the polar opposite to that of my children. It was tough and I think I was streetwise before I had even reached double figures in age. I’m not saying that is ideal because in some ways I missed out on a childhood of innocence, but that is a story all of its own.

Sometimes preparing our young children for a life that will most likely have trials, tribulations and moments that are hard to bear is not easy, but it’s vital, and sugar coating it is in my opinion pointless. Teach them in such a way that they don’t think life is easy and without its problems, but also that life can be great, which can also be very fulfilling.

I would love to know what you think.