Early Life Lessons to Teach Your Kid

March 16, 2021  |  Published by


It's no secret that children are more receptive to learning than adults. In fact, a study from the Developmental Psychology journal notes that children tend to distribute their attention widely, unlike adults who are likely to selectively focus on information that they think is more important. Because of this, kids are better at noticing things and picking up new skills.

This is why you should teach your kids valuable life lessons that they can use throughout their life while they are still young. Doing so raises your child's chances of becoming an independent, successful, and self-sufficient adult. Below are some of the few life lessons that you should try to instill in your child as early as now.

dad and daughter at sink

The Importance of Money

Let's face it: A lot of adults are bad at handling their finances. This is partly due to the lack of financial literacy that they should have learned and practiced at a young age. Discuss with your child why money is important and teach them basic money management concepts such as saving and spending wisely.

The first step to helping them develop financial literacy is allowing them to open their own bank account. When you open a bank account in your child's name, it's recommended that you open one that has a high annual percentage yield (APY). Marcus explains that high APY accounts compound interest regularly, so you can expect your child's savings to grow significantly over time, compared to a traditional savings account. It's a great way to set them up for a financially stable future. You can also help your child visualize how things cost money by letting them buy something special from their own savings. Teach them that money needs to be earned and can't be spent carelessly. These kids of actions will do so much more to establish the importance of money in your child than a quick discussion they may not absorb.

Good Hygiene is Key

Health and hygiene are two important habits to teach your child to prioritize. Although parents may command their kids to brush their teeth, take a bath, change their underwear, and wash their hands, it's equally important to explain why they should do it in the first place. In order for them to carry good hygiene habits throughout adulthood, you should discuss with them how practicing good hygiene means that they will stay fit and healthy. To help establish the concept of good hygiene, you can create a daily checklist where they can tick off essential hygiene steps that they need to do every day.

Empathy is Important in Building Connections

In order to build good social relationships in adulthood, you should teach your child the importance of empathy. By employing empathy, your child will understand how other kids are feeling, and base their decisions on more than just their own welfare and egotistic reasoning. Having empathy helps your child build a stronger sense of security and relationships with other children. Aside from that, empathy also promotes good mental health and helps your child become more tolerant and accepting. VeryWell Mind lists a few ways to help your children develop empathy - such as telling them to listen to what others are saying, not being afraid to voice out how they feel, and offering help to people when needed.

We want our children to live rich, full, and healthy lives. To make this possible, try to impart these valuable life lessons on them as early as possible.

Renee June is a parenting and lifestyle blogger based in Cleveland, Ohio. Her parenting and life experience comes from being a mom to two beautiful girls. When she's not busy writing insightful posts, you can find her tending to her blooming houseplants or sweating it out in the nearest yoga studio.

Madeleine Lovett

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