Some Things You Will Need To Be A Parent: Guess What, They Are Free

We live in a very fast technological world and our children are growing up right in the middle of it. iPads, mobile phones, and every conceivable item of technology is available to them, and incredibly at a cost they can or at least their parents can afford.

The other day I read that generation Z is actually boring of technology. They flick through YouTube, Facebook, Snapchat, aimlessly looking for something to interest them.

All this got me thinking that as a parent what are my own hopes and dreams for my children?

I will always be proud whatever they decide is their chosen path in life, but I also thought as a parent and as a dad what can I give them that will help? After all, we all want our children to be a reflection of our nurturing and beliefs, and for me I want them to be better human beings than me, so they can make planet earth a better place than me. To make changes that improve the quality of life for everybody and most importantly respect people no matter what their gender, colour, creed or the choice of how they want to lead their lives. Our children can remove prejudice in this world, with our help.

I have thought long and hard about what I can give my children as a legacy and guess what, it’s free.

1. Time

Giving your time is vital so that they understand that one day when they are older and have children it will be natural to give their children time.

2. Patience

Oh my goodness! This is a tough one. Patience does not come naturally to me, but after 22 years of parenting I believe I have learnt to be very patient. Let’s be honest, it’s so much easier to wait quietly for a moment to pass and not scream or shout.

3. Listening

I have always allowed my children to have an opinion and I have always listened to them, granted, I may not always agree, but by listening to them hopefully you are teaching them that what they have to say has value and importance. Just because they are children doesn’t mean what they think is not important, it is.

4. Talking

This is is an absolute big one for me. I have always talked about any subject with my children, and with my older children I never shied away from talking about sex, drugs, periods with my daughters etc, no subject was taboo to me. I always tried to talk about it all if that’s what they wanted, and I was always completely open. I never held back. I always said it as it is.

5. Love

Love your children no matter what happens. It’s always unconditional and more importantly show your love with a kiss or a hug. They will take that feeling of love into the world, and they will make the world a better place to live in. For me it’s really that simple.

In this world of so much hate, violence, poverty, hunger, wars, prejudice, greed and people generally not giving each other the time of day.

If we can teach our children some very simple base values of how to live their lives, the world really would be a nicer place. Children really are the future, but let’s make it a future worth having for them.

What do you think? I would love to hear.