5 parents talk about the valuable lessons they learnt from their children

We all know that parents are a child’s first teacher, but there are a lot of things that parents too can learn from their children. Thanks to easy access to information or the Internet, children today know a lot of things from an early age. In fact, every parent can learn something new from their children and realise that wisdom need not necessarily come with age. We asked a few parents about the things their children helped them learn, and they shared some interesting insights.

“Once I asked my son to do something and almost shouted at him. But instead of throwing a tantrum or revolting like any other 6-year-old kid, he calmly replied that I could have told him the same in a polite manner and he would have happily done it. In fact, he almost gave me a lecture on the importance of treating everyone with respect. That day, he taught me the lesson that no matter how my mood is, I should always maintain my calm and treat others with respect. That is the only way they are going to respect me back.”

“My daughter has taught me the valuable lesson of how to be a balanced person in life, no matter what challenges life throws at you. Last year, she had some issues in her professional life and we were struggling with financial crisis at home as well. She was going through a rough phase but she always maintained a positive attitude and kept reminding me of the good things we had in life. Her balanced approached during her extremely tumultuous time was an enlightening lesson for me at the age of 50.”

“My son is just eight months old and he had taught me to be a happy person round the clock. He is always smiling and does not have a single dull moment. He has taught me that happiness is a choice, and only you can make yourself happy.”

“My daughter has taught me to enjoy the present. Earlier, I used to get anxious for anything and everything at the drop of a hat. When she was in her school, I used to constantly worry about her health and career. One day, she sat down with me and lectured me on how I am ruining my present by worrying about the unforeseen things. Her belief about not mourning the past and not brooding about the future, changed the way I looked at life. Thanks to her, I am an optimistic person now and have learnt to enjoy the present without worrying much about the future.”

“My daughter has taught me the lesson of self-control. Recently, she had a sore throat for weeks, and no kid can stay without having an ice-cream for such a long period. But she made sure to refrain herself (that too happily!) from having it all this time even when all her friends used to have ice-creams every evening. And she is just 6 years old, imagine that! When I see her practising self-control at this age, she motivates me to do it as well.”