Raising a child is both a blessing and one of the most challenging things you can ever do. And speaking of challenging, should you teach them to challenge authority?
If you are not part of those people who love the things staying just like they are, who weep for the glorious past and think progress is the devil’s doing, then you are probably worried about the present. And if you are a parent you might even worry about the future. What should you teach your child today to make sure they can handle tomorrow?
Well, that’s probably something that every parent has wondered at least once in their lives. But in the present, it seems to be even more difficult to know what are those skills or pieces of wisdom that should be passed along.
MORE: Is Your Kid Naughty? Then You Might Just Be A Fantastic Parent
For example, should you teach them to challenge authority? And if you do, won’t that backfire? Won’t they challenge your authority? But how else can you teach them about oppression, about injustice, about the suffering of other people and of the planet without teaching them to not take for granted what they are told to think, feel and do?
Well, that’s a difficult dilemma. We all want our children to share our values, but also to become distinct individuals with their own view of the world. Can we do both?
If you want your child to have a critical mind, not to accept injustice and to stand up for themselves, there are some things that you can do.
MORE: 4 Types Of Emotional Abuse Many Children Endure
1. Always tell them the truth, even when it’s uncomfortable
If you want your child to trust and respect you, you have to always tell the truth. Of course, the level of complexity of your answer should take into account their age and their capacity to understand. But most of the times, the truth is simple enough for a child to understand. It may be a hard truth, an uncomfortable truth for you to share. But once they get the taste of it, they won’t settle for less in the future.
2. Teach them the importance of autonomy
It’s difficult for parents to respect the autonomy of their children and mostly because they want to protect them. But maybe the best protection in the world is to teach them they are autonomous beings that deserve to be treated with respect, no matter what choices they will end up making later on.
MORE: 5 Practical Ways To Build Your Child’s Confidence
3. Expose them to as much diversity as possible
The best way to teach a child tolerance and respect for the ones that are different from them is through personal experience. They can learn about different cultures through traveling and reading. But they also need to make friends with people from different races, cultural and social backgrounds, and genders. They need to see the world as the melting pot that it is.
MORE: Science Tells Us Why It’s So Hard For People To Change Their Minds
4. Teach them the importance of community
We tend to teach our children that the world is a tough place where you have to eat or be eaten. But we neglect to teach them about the importance of collaboration and sharing. A community that is inclusive and tolerant is built on these two attitudes. So your child will learn to be generous and to collaborate better if you show them how a community can be a safe net, a supportive and beneficial influence in their lives, rather than taking their candy and force them to share it when they are not ready.
Raise your child in the same way you would’ve wanted to be raised! Please, share this!
