Tuesday, October 29, 2013

Help Your Child Become a Better Person


By Pamela O'Connor

Every parent wants to give their child the best life possible. They want to give them the life they didn't get to have; they want to give them better opportunities and more successful futures. Every child should be given the chance to have success; unfortunately, when they become privileged they often feel too entitled to stay grounded. They often become smug, demanding, self-centered and believe the world really revolves around them and their desires. There are principles to help keep privileged kids from turning into “spoiled brats” while still giving them the tools they need to succeed.
                  The first principle is to model the behavior you want to see in your children. Kids learn from example and imitate what they see. In order to raise effective adults, you must continuously play the role you want your child to emulate. You do not want them to act like entitled brats that can get anything they want without working for it, so you must not act that way either. As we all know, actions speak louder than words so working hard, doing kind deeds and treating others with compassion will help your child to realize that these are the qualities that they need to exhibit of a mature, responsible adult.
                It is also an important principle to teach your children that everyone needs to be given equal opportunities. No one has the right to believe that they are better than anyone else. People may have different talents or abilities, but that does not make them a better person or someone who deserves more. Financial and educational status should not be a matter of judgment, and teaching your children to treat everyone fairly should be enforced very early on. You must remain loving, but correct your child if they seem to believe they are better than others based on their background.
                Spending time volunteering, and helping people less fortunate is another principle that can help to keep your child grounded and appreciate the opportunities he or she has been given. People who have experienced helping others more often tend to develop compassion, appreciation for life’s opportunities, learn the value of hard work, improve their interpersonal relationships and learn to get along better with others. It is important to help others gain equal opportunities by coming together and helping one another. All three of these principles will hopefully help prevent children who are privileged from becoming narcissistic and entitled as they grow up.

No comments:

Post a Comment