Parenting and Family Education

Posts Tagged ‘Should’

Teaching your child the importance of saying hello will help them learn to get to know and acknowledge people.  But in our society today, people aren’t saying, “hello” anymore.

Today, more than ever, everywhere you look or read there is something about the “danger with strangers.”  It’s taught to your child in school, it’s preached in churches, and parenting classes.  But, are we instilling fear into our children rather than promoting confidence.  And, at the same time are we instilling fear into ourselves as parents and turning into a society of becoming fearful of knowing each other?

What’s the end-result?  The neighborhood block parties are disappearing and our children play with video games instead of playing with their friends a few blocks away.  Have you ever noticed if you go out and just say, “Hello” to people you get some very strange looks?  Some people actually turn their heads. How many best friends does your child have today?  Do you remember how many classmates you knew growing up?

How can we take this fear, turn the fear into confidence, and at the same time teach our children the importance of getting to know and acknowledge people?

Over the years my children and I developed and played a game and it’s called “Who Knows The Most People.”  We played the game every time we went out … to the grocery store … the zoo … the park … walking, just about any place we went, we played the game.

Here’s how the game works.  The challenge: “Who Will Know The First Person You See.” Start by pointing out to your children the why/how you know someone.  Whether at the grocery store, restaurant or other place, someone is always there assisting or serving you. You say, “Hello” and explain who this person is and how you know them.  It could be a parent of one of their friends.  Your children will catch on and they will want to be saying, “hello” first.  You’ll find that your children don’t like losing the game if you are the first to say, “hello,”  most of the time.

By setting an example and teaching the value of saying, “hello” will help your children throughout their lives. It’s up to you, the parent. Getting your child to know the people who they meet every day, and treating them as if they truly matter in the big scheme of things. Saying hello builds the foundation for your child to learn how to welcome people, old and new.

You can start with just a few things and then build upon them: Challenge your children to know the names of all the kids in their class and what grade they’re in. Take the time to wave to your neighbors as you ride your bike, walk the neighborhood, or drive off to the grocery store.  Set the example and teach the value of “Hello.”

Once a woman has made the discovery about her conception, she will definitely wish to learn more about this momentous event in her life. And plenty of sources are available these days to answer all her questions. The trend has changed and today even the male partner would wish to know more about this biological event. Well, he can get his hands on different sources of information too. What is quite difficult to obtain is a source of information about pregnancy catering to children only.

With what is being exhibited on the media and what they see in the environment around them, modern children are as curious about pregnancy as adults. They are eager to absorb knowledge and exhibit a willingness to learn, so much so that adults find it difficult to understand how much they should reveal and how much they should conceal. What they do not realize is that children of different ages and coming from different backgrounds assimilate information in varied ways. While some of them are content with a limited amount of information about pregnancy, there are others who demand to know more and may even seek out knowledge all by themselves.

A child who has observed many pregnant women will naturally be full of questions, believing that it is a very normal situation to be in. It is left to the parents to decide how much knowledge has to be imparted at that time; too much information is really not necessary—just answers to the questions asked should suffice. Additionally, the child should be reassured that if he/she wants to seek more information about pregnancy in the future, he/she is free to do so.

Children actually search for information about pregnancy in all innocence. Their queries are definitely not in the same vein as those of adults! If the parents have not understood what the child is trying to find out, it would be wise to clarify the question first before actually proceeding with the answer. The general conclusion is that the child is putting forth inquiries of an awkward nature! For instance, a very commonly posed question is, “Where do babies come from?” Usually adults hum and haw over questions of this nature, finding it embarrassing to answer them! Who knows, after a careful probe, it may be discovered that the child was only asking for the name of the hospital where the baby was born, or whether the newborn knows his/her doctor!

In households with multiple children, information about pregnancy has to be distributed equally to the younger, as well as to the older children. When all are brought together, the presence of the older siblings prevents the youngsters from indulging in too much of investigation! At the same time, the older siblings get a feel of how much/how little knowledge has to be actually imparted to their younger brothers and sisters.

Sometimes, a curious child poses a question directly to the mother-to-be. Now she may not necessarily be the child’s own mother. She could be a teacher, the mother of a friend, a neighbor, a relative, or just any other woman whom the child knows intimately. The question should be answered according to the child’s age.

Opinions vary from woman to woman. Some impart as limited information about pregnancy as possible, believing it to be the best thing to do. Others feel that the child should know everything. To avoid conflicts, the concerned adults should discuss among themselves and come to a consensus even before the child becomes aware of the pregnancy.