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Raising our kids is one of the hardest and yet rewarding jobs we have in our lives. We have this task to shape the generation that follows us and that can be daunting. We try to teach them to be responsible, caring, honest people. Yet how many of us take the time to teach them to rise above our own vices, to teach our kids to be better than ourselves?
It seems like an odd thing, teaching our kids to be better than ourselves, but think about it: we all know we have our own little issues, whether its that we’re obsessively clean or we have anger problems or we talk too much. In some cases, our problems are a little more serious and can seriously affect our children.
Too many times, parents pass along their prejudices. Hatred is a learned thing and and it is usually learned at home. Do we want to perpetuate hate? Do we want to teach another generation to discount people because of their race, sex, origin, or nationality?
Many of our habits are learned from our parents, whether we recognize them or not. To be more active in what you are teaching your children, you need to be aware of your own habits are.This may mean talking honestly to your friends to learn more about yourself, or maybe going to a counselor.
One effective way to promote this love and understanding of others is to travel with your children. Giving them the opportunity to experience other people and cultures can lead to more culturally sensitive and aware kids.
In an increasingly global society, learning to accept others and promote peace is the way forward and this has to start at home. We need to teach our children that everyone is worthwhile and that we can all learn from each other.