What A Gift

Do you remember as a child trying to make a volcano erupt and it just didn’t work?  When an adult swoops in to save the day, what do you learn from that?  You learn that the adult knows how to make a volcano erupt.  But, do you? 

We all learn from our mistakes.  As parents, we need to learn to step back and allow our children to make mistakes on their own.  We learn best by experience.

When my daughter was in college, there were kids in the dorm that didn’t know how to use a washing machine.  It’s important that parents don’t do everything for their child.  They have to be allowed to develop the skills the need to survive when mommy and daddy aren’t there to save them.

When I think back to all the years of helping with laundry, learning to cook and clean, and watching the siblings and cousins, I realize that I was given a gift.  These adults taught me to take care of myself, my home, and my family.  What a great gift! 

Allow your child to make mistakes.  Make these mistakes a teaching moment and ask your child what they learned from the mistakes they made.  Ask what they will do differently the next time.  Teach your children to become self-sufficient and learn to solve problems on their own.  This is a skill everyone should have!  What a gift!