One commodity is more at a premium than money today. And, ironically, that commodity cannot be quantified. It cannot be stored, grown or regained. And that commodity is what you as a parent have to give your child the most. You have to give her time. Don’t think that you deserve a break when you get home from a hard day’s work and so you can choose to ignore your child. Or you can give her everything she wants so that she stays locked in her room and lets you watch TV in peace.

1. 3 Things Which We Should Be Teaching Our Children
Today’s children are maturing fast, aren’t they? I mean, compared to
about a decade ago, today’s generation is so adept at handling gadgets,
gaming consoles, computers… they’re up to date with the latest
happenings in the world, have an opinion on most things and know
exactly what they want.
Well, not really. Children today are just more exposed than we were. If
you compare your maturity and amount of exposure to today’s times,
you will see that the ratio is almost the same. Children still need love and
affection; they need to be taught about the ways of the world, the
difference between right and wrong, and answers to their biggest
question in everything - “WHY?”
If children were more mature today than their counterparts a decade
ago, bullying would have considerably subsided, and so would suicides.
They would be better equipped to handle stress (something which has
increased today) and would prefer outdoor games and exercise to play
stations and X-boxes.
As parents, we should teach our children to be better human beings than
being exceptionally good at 1 thing - be it studies, sports or art. Here are
3 values which will help children be better human beings. The onus of
teaching them about these lies on us:
Respect: Children are too naive to understand sensitivity. So, instead of
focusing on it, imbibe the quality of respect in your child. Not just respect
for elders, but for peers also. And respect for the boundaries which
people set. Even if they can’t understand that a child has autism
spectrum disorder or other learning issues, they should know where to

2. draw the line and refrain from intruding into others’ lives. But this
respect for others will only come after respect for self. So, the most
essential thing that you as a parent should teach your child is to respect
her and others. This will not only lead to reduction in the number of
bullying cases, but also strengthen your child to ignore bullies and take
challenges in life head on.
Value of Money: There is a difference in not being able to give your child
something and not giving it to him. The former means that financial
conditions have placed restrictions on you. The latter means that you can
give your child what he needs but choose not to. These days’ parents give
in to every material demand of their child to ensure that he keeps quiet
and does not trouble them. A Wi-Fi enabled house, a state-of-the-art
laptop, Smartphone, tab, access to credit cards, the car… and start
wondering after a few years why the child is so stubborn. Your child
needs to learn the value of money, just like you did. This instills
discipline and forges healthier relationships. And since your child and
you have a healthy relationship, you have a better understanding of
what’s happening in his life and help him accordingly.

3. Humanity: This is one trait that separates us from animals. The quality of
being kind, helpful, compassionate… Unfortunately, it is the trait which is
missing from the world most. Gadgets and the internet have reduced
personal interactions and have made people so ‘Me-centric’ that
humanity has almost disappeared. Selfishness is so rampant that a small
act of humanity is publicized and lionized across media channels. True,
kind people should get their due, but why not aim to make a world
where humanity is the norm? And that can start at home. Instill this trait
in your child when she is young and she will go on to make the world a
better place.
One commodity is more at a premium than money today. And, ironically,
that commodity cannot be quantified. It cannot be stored, grown or
regained. And that commodity is what you as a parent have to give your
child the most. You have to give her time. Don’t think that you deserve a
break when you get home from a hard day’s work and so you can choose
to ignore your child. Or you can give her everything she wants so that she
stays locked in her room and lets you watch TV in peace. Your actual job
begins after you get home. Spend time with your child, teach them values
which you want to see in them and watch them grow beautifully to make
you proud some day.
Which are some more qualities which children should be taught? Do
share your thoughts in comments.