Do We Really Give Kids The Very Best?
Parenting isn’t easy. It’s never wise to say that a parent isn’t doing the best for their kids. The constraints of life and the realities of parenting make the best road hard to see. But that’s not to say we can’t all make better choices. Choices in how we spend on them, how we spend time with them, and what we instil in them. There are no right answers, of course. There are, however, a few factors that need considering you may not have thought on before.
A better start
It’s perhaps the most common concern of the parent, besides whether the child is fed and clothed. We want to make sure that they have the best opportunity to get a good start in life. But we have to go beyond whether or not they’re doing their schoolwork. We have a finite amount of time to spend with our children. Yes, playing with them and taking them to cinema and parties is important. But so is helping them engage their mind. Teaching them to read outside of school. Providing them with outlets for their creativity. Helping them get into sports to learn about the realities of teamwork and leadership. These are just a few of the ways more parents should learn to make life the learning experience, not just the school.
Better health
As an adult, we’re all riddled with health concerns that we probably could have been spared when were younger. This is about both habits and access to better care. There’s a lot of concern that the wheels are falling off the state care system and that public hospitals are even a risk. Now, more than ever, parents are looking to private medical insurance to ensure that their kids get the best standard of care. But their health is about what they do, too. As early as possible, we need to wean the children off the treats. The habit of bad eating most often begins young and becomes harder to fight off the longer it has had its place.
Be better
We can’t shape the ethics and values of our children perhaps as much as we would like. How they see the world and how they see others is painted by the experiences they have in that world. So, it’s up to us to find the experiences that paint a world that’s shaped by cooperation and charity. Take your kids volunteering with you, get them involved in community projects, and take every opportunity to live responsibly with them. More and more, we bemoan the loss of a sense of community and common care, but we are the ones most in charge of safeguarding it through our parenting.
When thinking about providing the best for your kids, you should think about the ideal life to live after childhood. Better health, more opportunity, a real sense of morality. Your kids aren’t likely to get any better start than the one we can give them. It can be painful, but it’s worth looking at whether we really give them the best kind we can.