We are always told, you're a lot like your father, or you act like your mother and most times it's plausible and true. We always say it's genetics, and yeah sure they play a role in it, but how we live our everyday life is really what makes the biggest impact. I read this poem the other day, and it hit me, hard. The entire poem is true, exact, and powerful. It's called 'Children Learn What They Live'.
If children live with criticism, they learn to condemn.
If children live with hostility, they learn to fight.
If children live with fear, they learn to be apprehensive.
If children live with pity, they learn to feel sorry for themselves.
If children live with ridicule, they learn to feel shy.
If children live with jealousy, they learn to feel envy.
If children live with shame, they learn to feel guilty.
If children live with encouragement, they learn confidence.
If children live with tolerance, they learn patience.
If children live with praise, they learn appreciation.
If children live with acceptance, they learn to love.
If children live with approval, they learn to like themselves.
If children live with recognition, they learn it is good to have a goal.
If children live with sharing, they learn generosity.
If children live with honesty, they learn truthfulness.
If children live with fairness, they learn justice.
If children live with kindness and consideration, they learn respect.
If children live with security, they learn to have faith in themselves and in those about them.
If children live with friendliness, they learn the world is a nice place in which to live.
When I read this, I think of my life, where I've seen it, and how much it's true. Children learn from human behavior, and so often we see kids learn the wrong things, the bad things. It's hard going anywhere now-a-days where there isn't a child swearing, to the point where they just learned to talk. We tend to look at kids and blame them for their actions, for what they do, what they say, almost everything, but where are these kids getting that from? They didn't just teach themselves. They learned, from the people they learn the most from, their parents, teachers, older siblings, etc. I think we need to stop blaming them for their actions, and getting them into big trouble, when we should really be doing it to ourselves, because we must be terrible people teaching young children to be like that. We need to encourage them and teach them to be amazing people, we need to show them what that looks like because, soon they will be teaching others as well. If we keep teaching our children to act this way, what will the world be like in ten years....I don't know if I want to know, the answer to that one. I think it's time for a change, in our generation. We can be the best teachers.
No comments:
Post a Comment