LOS ANGELES, June 18, 2013 /PRNewswire/ — Every parent wants their children to grow up with strong core values and habits, but in the chaos of everyday life, it can be difficult to focus on instilling them. Not to worry, says Princess Ivana Pignatelli Aragona Cortes.
"Summer is a great time to take advantage of teachable moments because there's a relaxed schedule, and you tend to have the time and energy to be proactive instead of reactive," points out Ivana, who is a featured blogger at Modern Mom, founder of Princess Ivana—The Modern Princess, and coauthor of A Simple Guide to Pregnancy & Baby's First Year.
Our strongest values are formed early in life, Ivana points out, so it's important for you to take a step back and determine what beliefs, behaviors, and habits you really want your kids to have.
Here, Ivana shares a list of ten positive values and habits you can choose from, as well as tips to connect them to your parenting:
Teaching Empathy:
- If another child seems left out at a party, help your son engage him in an activity. Later, refer back to this incident. "See how happy it made Jordan when you asked him to play kickball with you?"
Teaching Self-Control:
- Don't perpetuate the "just five more minutes" game. When it's time to get out of the pool and go home, it's time to get out of the pool and go home. Tell her if she argues you don't get to visit the pool the next day.
Teaching Honesty:
- Don't let your child cheat at playground games, even if it's Duck, Duck, Goose. Call him out on it. If others cheat, bring the occurrence up later and explain why it's so bad.
- If you know your child has done something wrong, casually ask him about it. "Did you take Matthew's toy train away from him during your play date yesterday?" If he fesses up, praise him for telling you the truth. If he lies, gently confront him with what you know and use it as a teachable moment to discuss why honesty is so important.
Teaching Kindness:
- Have your child help another child pick up her toys and put them away.
- Go with your child to take a basket of veggies or a bunch of flowers from your garden to an older person in the neighborhood. Have her handmake a card to go with them.
Teaching Reading:
- Make it part of the routine. It depends on your schedule, of course, but many moms cherish a bedtime reading ritual. Read every single day no matter how tired you are. The idea is to make books part of the fabric of daily life.
- Set summer reading goals. You might even attach rewards. For instance, after each five books read together, your child gets a trip to the frozen yogurt store.
Teaching Sports and Sportsmanship:
- Hold family sports tournaments in the yard or the park. Kick a soccer ball around or play basketball. Keep it light but do look for teachable moments: "Your sister won that round and it's okay. You won last time. If you keep crying we will have to go inside."
Teaching Environmental Consciousness:
- Plant some flowers or vegetables and let your kids help care for them. You might even give them sole responsibility for a particular rose bush or tomato plant.
Teaching Nutrition:
- Turn healthy foods into fun treats. Instead of ice cream or candy or chips, offer fresh watermelon slices, homemade orange juice popsicles, or blueberries (bonus if you picked them yourself!) with cream and a sprinkling of sugar.
Teaching Positive Thinking:
- Start a new mealtime or bedtime ritual. Ask your child to name things that he is grateful for and make sure to point out things he should appreciate about himself.
Teaching Problem Solving:
- Involve your child in answering questions and finding solutions to problems. If your son is upset because he can't reach a toy on a high shelf, ask, "How do you think you could get it down? Could you reach it if you stood on your stool?"
"It's easy to think of 'teaching good, strong values' as one of the scarier and more daunting tasks of parenthood," Ivana concludes. "But it's really just about living by design and making conscious choices about your family's habits, attitudes, and priorities."
About Princess Ivana:
Ivana is the author of A Simple Guide to Pregnancy & Baby's First Year, which was cowritten with her mother, Magdalene Smith, and her sister, Marisa Smith.
Click here for a more expanded version of these tips.