Three Things Every Parent Should Teach Their Kids

I was pretty sure what I'd say to answer this Blog Hop question, but I asked 15 1/2 year old daughter Jael how she'd answer this, if it were posed as a question. VERY INTERESTING and after she gave me her input, she asked me what three things my parents had taught me which were "have tos". We set as parameters for our discussion that this would be aside from the obvious in a God fearing, salvation believing ,teaching, living family. In short she said, and my assessments were similar #1: Respect for others and for self,.This for all of us is giving each other lots of space to BE who we are, to treat ourselves and others the way we want to be treated, to be able to stand up for ourselves and what we believe because we understand that we have value: value to God , and even if it seems like we have value to no one else on the planet, we know we have value within our family. #2 The ability to articulate clearly , with supporting statements,what we believe about anything : be it spiritual, political, moral or ethical , relational, or pertaining to the desire to participate in an activity and to do so in a way which is respectful yet forceful, #3, loyalty to family and friends. Family sticks together, friends stand by friends and don't bail or walk away when something gets sticky. Wrapped up in all that was the unspoken understanding we have taught our children that there is nothing they can not come and talk ot us about. We have taught them trust:Mom and Dad can be trusted to steer the children in the right direction, trusted to listen, trusted to care and to act accordingly.

Special thanks to Shoplet.com-Purell Hand Sanitizers for sponsoring this blog hop.