Your Child's First Teacher

Can you remember your first teacher? Was it Miss Sally and Miss Nancy from nursery school? Maybe it was Mr. Jones from kinder-care? Who was your child's first teacher? Miss Suzie? Nope. What about Ms. Smith? Wrong again. I know who your child's first teacher was. It was you.

Yes, you.

You are your child's first teacher. You are also their greatest teacher. It does not matter if your child is traditionally schooled, home schooled or unschooled, you are your child's first - and longest - teacher. From the moment your child was born, you were there to nurture and support their growth. As they continue to grow and enter preschool, elementary and even middle or high school, you do not stop teaching them. Grade level does not determine your role of teacher. You decide this role by cultivating a healthy relationship with your children, built on real love, support and commitment to their growth.

Here are three lessons to share with children of all ages:

The lesson of gratitude

Teaching gratitude can seem difficult - especially when children have an often well deserved reputation for self centeredness and selfishness. But gratitude is an important lesson. Children who are grateful not only polite and pleasant, they are sensitive and empathetic to the feelings of others and also develop strong leadership skills and life skills. A simple way to instill gratitude is to take a daily gratitude statement. Ask each person in the family to the list, and share all the things they are thankful for in their lives. Not only do you learn about your family, it's a fun way to see how priorities are changing over the years. For example, three-year-old can one be grateful for his favorite truck, while one sixteen year old can be thankful for driving a truck.

The lesson of responsibility

There is no greater teacher than a good example. To teach responsibility, which is to be responsible and accountable for your words and actions, you should be, for example. Parents need to model behavior they hoped their children even as their own. Do what you say you will do, be honest in your dealings with your peers, show courage in standing up for your beliefs, and maintain self-respect for themselves and others. In addition, teach responsibility, be prepared to give your child room to make his or her own choices and face the consequences, whether positive or negative.

The lessons of Services

Teaching the lesson of the service or give back helps children learn compassion and empathy while enhancing their own self-esteem and confidence. Often, all it takes is an act of selflessness to selfishness go away and open a child's eyes to the joy of service. So, what can you do to teach this lesson? Small acts of kindness, like sharing a smile, keeps the door open for a second or baking cookies for a neighbor, are great ways to teach service. You can also choose to create a family that provides safe, where everyone can regularly add a small amount of money to help a group or cause.

Again, it is immaterial if your child is in preschool, elementary, middle or high school, you will always be their first teacher. Impart the lessons above can also make you their favorite one as well!