My son recently turned ten years old. Shortly after his birthday, I started to think about what I needed to teach him before he gets much older. What kind of wisdom should I share with my son, to get him ready for his teenage & adulthood years?
I thought about the things my father taught me, and what I wished he would have taken the time to share with me when I was young. The result is a list which includes some of my father’s wisdom, and a number of things I had to figure out on my own.
The most important things I still need to teach my son, are:
- Choose your friends wisely. Just like an elevator button, they can take you down or up.
- Nobody knows what you are thinking, unless you tell them. People can’t read your mind. This includes your teacher, coach, future spouse or friends.
- Know “wrong” is wrong, even when everyone else thinks otherwise.
- Your glass is always half-full. Stay positive in all aspects of your life.
- Failure is a part of learning. If you are afraid to fail, you will never succeed.
- What is your plan? You will never get anywhere, or achieve anything, without knowing your goals and how to achieve them.
- Never underestimate your fertility. Not now, not when you go to college, not even after you are married.
- Marriage is the starting line, not the finish line. All the really hard work starts after “I do”.
- Your financial status means very little, in the grand scheme of things.
- Never say to your daughter, “Don’t Tell Mommy” –about something that you did wrong (or wasn’t supposed to do in the first place). The pain from your mistake will only double as a result.
Have I missed something you would include? Please leave a comment and let me know.
-Al
I like the list. I especially like the failure thing. Fear of failure is extremely limiting. I also like the right is right comment. It seems the world view of what is acceptable gets more insane all the time. We have to have our own morals. The thing about marriage couldn’t be more true either.
I have been writing my son, who will be born in about a month a letter and have included the things I hope we’ll be able to teach him. A couple that really means a lot to us are
1. Your word is all you have. If you give your word to someone, make sure you honor it.
2. Always, always, always treat women with respect, even if you don’t think they are respecting themselves.
3. Above all else, God first, Family second, everything else will fall into place.
Great list!