Three ways for mums to teach their children humility
“What we suffer from today is humility in the wrong place." - GK Chesterton
The problem with many people today is that they don’t know how to listen first before speaking. As such, discussions turn into debates, which sometimes lead into arguments. In order to make the world a better place, parents must learn how to raise modest children. Here are three things that we can instill in them in order to do just that.
Coach them to respond properly
A simple “please” and “thank you” goes a long way. Teach them eye contact when talking to others, and signify the importance that they must believe what they’re saying. Humility starts from the words we think and say. If our children can’t even express their gratitude properly, we can’t expect them to be humble in the eyes of others. When they ask for something and don’t say please, correct them immediately. The same goes for when you give them something, or someone does them a favour, and you didn't hear a sincere thank you from your children.
Teach them to be grateful for the little things
A grateful heart is a modest heart. Spoiling your little ones may be cute for some parents but this can be quite problematic when the children grow up. It’s sad to see some children say negative things, or even curse at their parents publicly for not getting an iPhone for Christmas. This is something that all parents want to avoid, and we can do this by always making them aware of how lucky they are. In war torn countries, children need constant help from charitable organizations just to eat three times a day and sleep with warm clothes on – something that they don’t need to experience on a daily basis. If they can understand these realities at an early age, they won’t feel proud and entitled.
Expose your child to stories about humble heroes
One of the reasons why children’s books are full of heroes who are brave and humble is because the world needs more people like them. No one likes proud and selfish people, and children are prone to becoming just like that when they aren’t guided accordingly. So when you choose books for bedtime stories, make sure that the main character is someone that your child can look up to.
While we can’t completely control how our children will turn out when they grow up, we can instill in them the core values that will lead them to becoming proper citizens. While good grades and success are what we want mostly for our children, don’t forget that humility is just as important.
This is a contributed post
