When you think about your best memories from childhood, you rarely came across occasion of receiving amazing present. More often it’s all about time you spend with your family and friends. Taking that into account, what are the best presents you can give to your children? Gifts that they will never forget?
Below is something that they will appreciate for lifetime:
1. Challenge. Teach your children to have big dreams and pursue them. Support them in keeping that approach when they are growing up. Help them not to give up and not take things for granted, but challenge them and deal with daily challenges they will face. As a result, they will find out that they can achieve more than they initial thought it’s possible.
2. Opportunity. Taking opportunities will give them a chance to see what they really like and learn from real life situations. Learning from experience also means understanding risks and acting responsibly. When they will reach their adulthood they will get better understanding of what life really is and what they want from it. Quite surprisingly taking opportunities in childhood does not require much money to be spend.
3. Optimism. Let them be on the light side of the force. Being optimist means they can succeed in their aspirations, even despite initial failures. You’ll see that in time they will support even yourself in making sure positive things happen in our life.
4. Affirmation. You need to ensure your children know how much you appreciate them. Making sure that’s in place give them affirmation and makes your relation stronger. That benefits both of you, but primary it gives confidence and stability that every children needs. Go then and remained them they are loved as often as possible!
5. Curiosity. This one is very important, as our children are learning the world every day. Asking questions of “how, why and where” helps them to understand our reality. Always encourage that and answer as much as possible. Ultimately that curiosity will became crucial in their adult live when questioning status quo may be a challenge.
6. Imagination. Similarly to challenge, Imagination will help them to dream big dreams. One person said that all things are created twice, first in our minds (projects, plans etc.) and the in reality. To make it happen they need to use their imagination as much as possible. In turn, they will find solutions to majority of their problems and will live life they want to.
7. Intentionality. US baseball player, Yogi Berra said “If you don’t know where you’re going, you’ll wind up somewhere else”. From time to time we need to ask ourselves who we are and where are we going. To do the same exercise with our children, will help them to understand their future and who they really want to be. What is more, having that skill already trained in their adult live can be of significant benefit.
8. Honesty/Integrity. This is one of the most important gifts we can give to our children. Integrity will help them to make choices in difficult situations. Having clear value system will boost their confidence and make them feel better. But most of all, that will mean they treat others in honest way, which makes more possible they will be treated likewise.
9. Spirituality help with understanding true meaning of our live, which is unique and specific to each person. It gives clarity that we are not just flesh and bones with no meaning. It helps us to understand our purpose and gives strong basis to value systems focused on values such as integrity and honesty. Spirituality is not only faith, but our perception of the world, which is seen as something far beyond materiality of daily live.
10. Time. To give any of above listed gifts we need to give biggest one, which is our time. As someone noticed, that is a present we never can take back, so we need to watch out who (or what) gets it. It seems very fair, that almost all people have rather similar amount of it to spend. Thus to spend it wisely with our children is the best gift we can give them.
Next time you will be buying present to your children think about above and feel free to add to this list. Still remember, money cannot buy any of these, but your time can!
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Tom