10 things to teach your children

By Rosanne Gephart

Adapted from Huff Post’s “Ten things I want my 10-year-old daughter to know”

1. It is not your job to keep the people you love happy. Not your parents, not your siblings, not your friends. The hard truth is that you can’t, anyway. Work on being honest, kind, and true to yourself. Those are at least obtainable!
2. Take care of your body, you only get one! Be active: run, jump, climb, hike and eat well. Try to get outside everyday. Clean air and exercise clear the mind and heal the soul. Overcoming physical challenges builds character and enhances your sense of well being.
3. Share your passions and talents. You may be shy, embarrassed, or worried, that your family or friends will be judgmental or tease you for what you love to do or feel passionate about. The world needs more passionate people who share their talents. This is hard to realize, but essential.
4. It is okay to disagree with others. Your point of view is important. Everyone is entitled to an opinion. The opinion of others, while different from yours, does not dilute or make your opinion less. All things do not require agreement. Respect the opinion of others as they should respect yours. You do not need to prove you are correct. Your perspective is both valid and valuable. Don’t shy away from expressing it. You can always change your mind! Perspectives change
5. Your physical looks do not define who you are. You are the product of two unique individuals who love the cleft of your chin, your eyes that remind them of an elder, and your skin is the color of your ancestors. You are unique, someone purely you. The body is merely a case for the true you that is within. The clouds of society’s beauty myth may manifest in your self-consciousness, those clouds cannot hide the shinning of your personality. You will define whom you are by what you do and how you act.
6. Learning is essential. Read, explore, and learn all you can about this world. Fiction, non-fiction, mystery, what ever suits you! It is a way to escape, essential for growing the mind, and will open up treasures of the world and the world of imagination.
7. Learning is essential. Read, explore, and learn all you can about this world. Fiction, non-fiction, mystery, what ever suits you! It is a way to escape, essential for growing the mind, and will open up treasures of the world and the world of imagination.
8. It is almost never about you. What I mean is that when people act in a way that hurts or makes you feel insecure, it is almost certainly about something happening inside of them, and not about you. Unkind words and actions can slice at your heart, even if your head knows otherwise. It helps to remember that, almost always, other people are struggling with their own demons, insecurities, and burdens.
9. There is no single person who can be your everything. Be very careful about bestowing this power on any one person. All of us sometimes feel a gnawing loneliness or emptiness. Trying to fill that ache with other people (or with anything else, like food, alcohol, and other numbing behaviors like staring at cell phones/devices) will not help. You will feel let down, and, worse, that loneliness will still be there. Instead, do something for others. Community service often gives a great sense of “making a difference”. Happiness comes from within.
10. Your parents (those who raised you) tried to do their best. Parents can be impatient and fallible. They too are human and make mistakes. They love you, even if they did not always act like it. They tried to give you the best start they could. Parenting is learned as you go, often through mistakes and tears. Nearly all parental figures wish they could have done better.