Children’s Life Lessons
Tayo Olarewaju
Children’s Life Lessons Copyright ďƒ“ Tayo Olanrewaju 2010 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers. ISBN: xxx-xxxxx-x-x Published by Delightsome Land Preschool & Primary 229A, Muri Okunola Street, Victoria Island, Lagos, Nigeria Telephone: +234 1-2701223, 08033527272 info@delightsomeland.org, www.delightsomeland.org Designed by Timeless Courage Publishing Limited Plot 144, Gbagada Expressway, Beside ISN House, Gbagada-Oworonshoki Expressway, Lagos Tel: 01-4358330, 08026861642 timelesscourage@yahoo.co.uk www.timelessnewspaper.com Pictures courtesy of Getty Images
Children come together a little at a time. Sometimes it seems frustrating like hard work efforts that yield nothing and suddenly they come together and you realize it paid off.
Children’s life lessons
1
They will test limits to see how far they can go with you. This is their way of testing the wider world; you are their prototype. 'Where are my boundaries?' This is the question they are asking. In the home, at school, in the society.
2
Don’t deceive yourself. Your children are you. A grand reflection of you. An improved 'photo shopped' you. That obnoxious rude obese child is you. That polite well mannered child is a reflection of you, your belief and your values.
3
You want a better world? How do you eat an elephant? A bite at a time. How do you change the world? A child at a time
Children’s life lessons
4
Children really are different. They excel in different things, They hardly ever go the way we want but they 'go'. It is your duty to ensure they ‘go’ well and they 'go' prepared. Children’s life lessons
5
Children when they are older become your friend, your financial planner, your link to a frightening fast changing technological world, you will need help navigating
6
Build a career; build a name; build a company; build a position; build a future. If you do not build up your child in the way he should go, you have built nothing. A child gone wrong will wreck your career, your name, your company, your position faster than you built it
7
Children must hold on to something. I advise God. He is the only 'thing' that's perfect, pure and unchanging. His rules are the rules. They do not change. Children’s life lessons
8
You can not make your child into what you want just as your parents could not make you into what they wanted.
Children’s life lessons
9
Teach your child to stand for the truth Teach your child to stand for the right thing Teach your child to stand alone. Because sometimes in standing for the truth they will stand alone.
10
Never underestimate your children They are special, They are unique, They will conquer the world.
11
Let children enjoy their childhood. It goes faster than you think.
Children’s life lessons
12
Be a better parent than your parents were. Your children would turn out better than you.
Children’s life lessons
13
They will make mistakes, they will hurt, they will cry. They will get laughed at, teased, bullied, knocked down.
14
Someone will get the better job, the better boy, the prettier girl, the faster car, the bigger house. This is life. Life is tough. Equip them to deal with it.
15
The question then is what comes next when they fall. Do they curl up and stay down or rise up to try again To take another step in this long sometimes weary journey.
Children’s life lessons
16
The simplest things bring the best memories Racing your child to the car, packing a meal, having a talk. Don't rush through life Make your memories
Children’s life lessons
17
Memories are being made each day; the best memories are the unscripted ones.
18
Teach your child about consequences early, Hold him accountable and he remains accountable for his actions through life.
19
The most popular children are not always the happiest. Children’s life lessons
20
Be your child's very good friend. It is hard work but like hard work it pays off. It might save him from the brink of drugs, save her from jail, save you from heartbreak and grief
Children’s life lessons
21
Some children will go wrong still but some will turn out right
22
Hard work, humility and honesty never killed a child. It’s timeless, it just doesn’t go out of fashion
23
Do not allow your child to be bullied. People will try: teacher, caregiver, neighbours, cousins. While it's in your turf, stand firm. When it is out of your hands, stand back and hope you taught him to stand.
Children’s life lessons
24
A child who stands for nothing does not stand at all. He crawls or worse he sits
Children’s life lessons
25
You cannot beat a child into submission you can beat a child into violence, into anger, into resentment and into rage.
26
Teach your child forgiveness, you might require it of him.
27
Beating will rarely keep your child from doing wrong but reason, love and care might.
Children’s life lessons
28
Explore your Child's talents and discover the beauty within.
Children’s life lessons
29
Don't make your child live by other people's rules. At least make sure your mistakes are yours.
30
Be kind to your children the times they are holding your hands. A time will come for you to hold theirs
31
Show your child the world out. There is poverty and injustice, inequality and racism, greed and avarice. There are liars and cheats, ogres and sadists. But there is also love and peace, heroes and miracles, truth and justice.
Children’s life lessons
32
Every child must learn discipline. That is what separates the startup from the corporation, the worker from the loafer.
Children’s life lessons
33
Teach your child to be at home with kings and with servants. He will need them both.
34
Careful what you call your child. You call her stupid, you are stupid's mom or dad. Like begets like Wouldn't you rather be "Genius's" mom or dad?
35
Teach your child to do good always. Every religion and culture has the law of retribution or karma. Good goes around, so does evil.
Children’s life lessons
36
Teach your child to know there will be 'up' times and 'down' times, happy times and bad times, yellow times and blue times.
Children’s life lessons
37
There really cannot be any short cuts to success. They look like short cuts but they don't lead anywhere. The short cuts only bring you back to start again.
38
Teach your child to always search for the rainbow because in every situation there is always a rainbow. Help him to focus on the good. The light at the end of the tunnel.
39
Speak to your child like they have minds. Speak to children not down at them. They usually have very intelligent minds. You will be surprised at what you can learn.
Children’s life lessons
40
Cultivate their minds early. Expose them to a variety of positive things: Arts, drama, books, science
Children’s life lessons
41
Do not pigeonhole your child. Some of the best chefs are men and women have been some of the world's greatest scientists. Better a happy successful male cook than a miserable female accountant. Let them know they can be all or anything or everything they want to be and let them be. Just be the wind beneath their wings.
42
Every child needs an anchor. That's what parents are for. Do not keep your child tied down to shore. Stay in the ship until they throw you down then get to work
43
Let your children fly. Be their fiercest supporter and yet their most honest critic
Children’s life lessons
44
Some things never go out of style. Teach them early: Integrity, honesty, courtesy and fairness.
Children’s life lessons
45
Nothing beats the time you spend with your children. Not the money spent, not the schools sent, not the clothes. Only the time spent with them remains priceless
46
Teach your child to speak up, few people will stop to hear him whisper
47
Show your child as much of the world as you can. There are lessons to be learnt by seeing that cannot be taught by talking.
Children’s life lessons
48
Teach your child to work hard. The joys of its successes are sweetest.
Children’s life lessons
49
Be a blessing to your child not a curse. Be a ready help not a hindrance. Be a source of pride not a shameful dark secret.
50
Let your child be a child. Grown up will come soon enough.
51
There are times to let your child 'be'. See those times and leave your child alone Children’s life lessons
52
Sometimes there is nothing you can do They must take their own road Make their own mistakes and learn their own lessons Children’s life lessons
53
Open your child’s mind. Teach your child to think. Don’t always provide the answers. Engage your child, question, search, challenge. You will be surprised. And they will learn to always search and question and reach their own decisions.
54
Children are tougher than you think but not totally unbreakable.
55
Love your child, it never hurts. Children’s life lessons
56
ISBN: xxx-xxxxx-x-x