5 Things You Can Teach Your Child to Make Them a Better Person

There are 5 things I believe that you can teach your kids VERY young that will make all the difference in their social relationships as they grow.  We have no real control over what our children "become" as an adult but we can definitely impact their hearts and help them to be better people as they grow.

1.  Compassion: Some kids are more compassionate than others, by nature.  However, even those that aren't compassionate at their core can be taught some level of compassion.  Volunteer.  Do things that teach children that the world is bigger than their little bubble.  Teach them to try to help when they can.  Teach them to care when someone else hurts.

2.  Integrity.  Teach your children that it doesn't matter who's watching...it matters what you know in your heart.  Most of the time, kids know right from wrong, on some level.  The fact is that they are often "taught" by peers to hide things from adults and do wrong anyway.  Teach your children not only to do what's right at their core but to encourage others to do it too.

3.  Honesty.  Teach them that it's better to tell the truth than it is to lie.  Encourage them to understand that even if honesty gets them into a little bit of trouble, they'd be in more trouble if they lie.  Encourage them to understand that honesty breeds trust and trust is essential in almost every relationship you have.

4.  Personal responsibility.  This is a big one.  Instead of placing blame, accept the responsibility for what you've done wrong.  A good portion of our country's issues is lack of personal responsibility.  People seem to be more inclined to place blame and make excuses than they are to admit they've made a mistake.  Mistakes happen...you learn from them.  But, as Dr Phil says, "You can't change what you don't acknowledge."

5.  Respect.  This can span a wide road.  Yes, it applies to manners.  Yes it applies to listening to teachers, etc.  But this also is about respecting themselves.  It's about respect others, in general.  It's about understanding that people will have different opinions.  It's understanding that others may choose a different lifestyle than you do and that's okay.  It's understanding that the choices people make aren't who they are (though that does not mean the choices are without consequence, in some cases).  It's about respect for life, as a whole.

These 5 things don't guarantee that someone will become a good person.  They don't guarantee that they'll make good choices or end up successful.  What it does guarantee is that this, combined with love, will get your child started on a great track.