Learning with your family is a great way for you to bond with your children. Family literacy is one of the many ways that you can celebrate what it means to read and learn together and, in the end, make your lives more fulfilling.
In many cases, the parents will be the ones who teach the children. After all, that’s one of your most important jobs as a parent—to teach new skills and instill values into your children. But many adults will tell you that they’ve learned lessons from their children that are just as important as the ones they’ve taught.
You might be wondering what adults can learn from children. It could be as simple as something that you learned in your past but have long since forgotten. It might be details surrounding a story or a part of the day that slipped by you but caught your child’s eye. It might be simply watching a child’s wonderment at the world around you that teaches you to appreciate the little things.
Families can learn from each other when they slow down and stop to listen. By doing these things, you can make the most out of your time together.
Here are a few things that you can learn from your children:
The ins and outs of technology
Many kids know all there is to know about technology, whether it has to do with programming a new phone, the intricacies of texting, or navigating social media—and many of them are happy to be given the opportunity to help their parents in this department.
Since kids are typically one step ahead with this skill and take an interest in technology, it gives parents a chance to sit back and be the student. Let your children show you things and introduce new concepts about technology, and you’ll be able to find common ground that can lead to interesting discussions.
Current and upcoming trends
The place where many parents hear about new trends is the nightly news, and they can come as a shock to many of us. And by trends, we don’t just mean fashion and accessories. We also mean things like cyberbullying and drug abuse—two of many things that kids are unfortunately more familiar with than parents.
Developing a loving and trusting relationship with your kids is more important than almost anything else. In order to create a relationship like this, your kids should feel like they can come to you with anything without being judged. And in this case, that means avoiding a lecture—and instead listening to what they have to say about these types of trends. It will be better in the long run to hear about them from your children instead of the nightly news, anyway.
Of course, there’s always the chance for your kids to teach you about fun trends, too—like old clothing styles made new again and fun dances to try out as a family.
Practicing patience
People make mistakes, and this is something that children understand very well. As adults, we like to think that we understand it too—but the truth is that we become less and less accepting of our own mistakes as we get older. How you react to your children’s mistakes will teach both yourself and your kids many valuable things.
Learning patience is important for any caregiver or parent because practicing this skill will help to foster a more trusting and solid relationship between you and your child. Kids may push your limits sometimes, but that’s how they can test out your bond. Learning patience through your children and then instilling the virtue onto them will benefit everyone involved. It may take some work, but it’s worth it.
The art of forgiveness
As we stated previously, people make mistakes. Kids make mistakes. And instead of lingering on these mistakes, children can teach adults the art of forgiving and moving on.
This isn’t an easy lesson to learn; it must be repeated throughout an entire lifetime. But your children can learn by your example. When you forgive them, they will see what it looks like to forgive someone, and in the future they will be better at forgiving you (and others).
Joy and wonder
Have you ever tried to see the world around you through your child’s eyes? If you let your children’s natural curiosity inspire you, you’ll be shocked at just how amazing our world is.
Children can help us slow down and pause, taking a closer look at everything the earth has given us. Follow your children where they want to go, try things that they want to try, and remember that it’s not the destination that’s important—it’s the journey.
Let Your Children Teach You
Ask yourself: What else can my child teach me? From current trends to important life lessons, children have just as much knowledge to share as adults do—all you have to do is pay attention.
