What would you want to teach your kids the most?
By vivasuzi
@vivasuzi (4127)
United States
February 9, 2008 11:26pm CST
My sister just had a baby, the first baby I've really ever been around, and it got me to thinking. When I have kids, what would I want to teach them at a young age? Kids absorb so much so fast when they are little so I thought it would be a great time to teach them some extra skills. The problem is, I have SO MANY things I'd want to teach them that I don't know what I should focus on.
For one thing, COMPUTERS for sure. I want them to be really good at computers as that is a must nowadays. Second, I have forgotten most my SPANISH but I still have the books and I think it would be a good idea to teach my kids the language to give them an early advantage. My teachers always told me that kids in Spain start learning english in 4th grade so I never understood why we wait until High School around here.
However randomly other things get in my mind that I should teach them such as MATH (b/c I did well in math but hated it), WRITING (hey, it's what I do all the time!), PIANO (I played in grade school and now forgot most of it), CREATIVE stuff (I love creativity).
So how do you decide what to focus on? Or do you try to teach your kids everything? I still have lots of time to think about this, but still would love to talk about it :) I'm currently leaning towards teaching them a little bit of everything instead of focusing on one skill.
2 people like this
7 responses
@kareng (54598)
• United States
11 Feb 08
One thing I regret is not being introduced to music at an early age. I always wanted to learn to play the piano. We never had one. My mother was never interested in music so to her it wasn't important. She was like that with food too. If she didn't like it, she didn't cook it. I didn't taste lots of vegetables until I was grown...but that's another story.
I did learn how to play the guitar when I was around 13 if I remember. They finally bought me a guitar and I learned on my own. I never got really good but I did learn how to read music and play a few chords. I'm sure if I ever would have taken lessons I would have been fairly decent.
The moral to the story is to listen to your kids. If there is an interest in something whether it be the arts, music or sports--let them try it out. They will either build on the passion or find out this isn't for them and then move on to something else.
As for the foreign language, I totally agree! I would add French to the list also.
@vivasuzi (4127)
• United States
11 Feb 08
We had a piano from grade school on but I only took lessons for a short while b/c I got bored with it. I still feel like the years that I was in it did help me b/c I'm really into the sound of piano music now! Learning how to play the guitar probably helped you to enjoy music the same way the piano helped me.
I probably wouldn't teach my kids French b/c I've yet to come across a need for it. Actually Chinese and German are big ones that ppl in the business world need to learn but I don't care to learn (or teach) either.
1 person likes this
@marilynlynn (994)
• United States
14 Feb 08
Yah, a whole lot of everything would be good, but teaching them about GOD would be my first goal. You'll know what to do when you have your own, and there's no parent hand book, either. :o)
@twoey68 (13627)
• United States
11 Feb 08
When my Nephew was small I started teaching him things when he would come to spend the night. I helped him learn to read and encourage him by getting him books that he likes like Goosebumps. I teach him to stand up for what he believes and to always tell the truth even if he's gonna get in trouble. I also make sure he knows that he will always have me in his corner no matter what. He knows whats right and wrong and if he's not sure he can come and ask me and we talk about it. I don't talk down to him and if he asks me something embarrassing, I don't hide from it...I just explain it to him and move on. I also let him help me with my quilting, play on the pc and cook whenever he is here. Just this past weekend I let him do dishes and he had a blast.
**AT PEACE WITHIN**
~~STAND STRONG IN YOUR BELIEFS~~
@moneytalks07 (219)
•
11 Feb 08
First off you should be teaching your kids different facts,skills,teaching and different ages. You do not decide when the time is right to teach a certain skill however it is your child which will show you he or she is mature enough or willing to learn.I have no childern of my own however i was a child care socail worker in the past and no much of raising a child. The major thing a child should be taught since day one is respect!
@moneytalks07 (219)
•
11 Feb 08
continuing..
From an early age when your child is able to communicate the basis of respect should be taught inorder for your child to interact with others in a well manner.The importance of respect for other's should be placed and the theory of one's treated how he treats other's. This is what I belive is a very important teaching your childern should be taught!
@vivasuzi (4127)
• United States
11 Feb 08
Oh yes my kids will definitely learn respect. There is nothing that ticks me off more than seeing a kid run wild in a store or in someone's house while the parents just sit there and laugh or say "don't do that" but then let them do it anyway. I plan to teach my kids from a young age to SIT DOWN while they eat, to wash their hands after a meal, and to ask before touching other people's things.
@asgtswife04 (2475)
• United States
11 Feb 08
That is a tough question for me for some reason. Of course, I want my kids to learn everything they would learn in school...both my boys are in elementary school, but i have an almost two year old here that i am trying to teach shapes, and colors, and the alphabet, and numbers....all of that kind of stuff. I feel though, that it's very important to teach my children about God at these early ages. I want my children to go down the right path at an early age, instead of having all the trials like I had growing up. I was saved at 7, but fell away from God for a while and now i'm back in His presence and happier than ever. I want my children to feel that love that only He can give and to feel His power and presence. That's my main goal, because I know that schools will teach them all the other stuff...but, they leave God out of things now. thanks for sharing and God bless
@phillygirl606 (1112)
• United States
10 Feb 08
I have a 7 year old son. I like to focus on a variety of things. This way he gets to pick out the ones that he likes the best. At the age of 7 he is a whiz on the computer. He works the computer better than my parents do at this point. And he loves books. I have made sure that from the time he was born that he has always had books around him. Which has paid off, alot of kids hate reading but he loves it and I really do think it's because we introduced books to him at such a young age instead of just all toys.
1 person likes this
@vivasuzi (4127)
• United States
11 Feb 08
I would hope my kids are better than my parents on computers. My parents only have been using computers for the last 10 years or so, and now it's a big deal that people know how to use them.
I always loved reading too and planned to make that fun for my future kids as well :)
@ratyz5 (7808)
• Philippines
10 Feb 08
Just teach them anything that you think that they find interesting or better if they enjoy it. Enjoying it at a young age would surely ensure them of memory retention and indeed, an advantage later on for them. Teach them anything and you could always ask if they are interested or not so you can share them alternatives.
For me, I want to teach them to use both hands so their logical and creative thinking could be developed at the same time.
Aside from skills, I'd really want them to be honest.
