I'm a young mother - my son is just 3 years old. But even this short time was enough for making a few parental mistakes. That is why I'm not giving advice to other people before I find a way to make everything work. And that is why I've decided to make a list of things I want to teach my son.
Politeness
Obvious, right? So obvious that we often forget its importance. Being rude to people magically turns into problems - with relationships, health and money. That's not karma or anything else of a kind. That's just about the influence of a word on our mood.
Respect and tolerance towards other people's views and choices
There's no absolute truth for me except the fact that all people are different - everyone is unique. We might agree with someone or not and we may share our position, but we cannot force people to change theirs. People are different but should be treated as equal members of society despite of their gender, race or views.
Following his heart
There's nothing good in taking dancing classes just because your mother wants you to. There's even more harm in choosing a profession not having passion for it because of the prestige or income you can get there. And not doing anything at all to develop your abilities and talents is also a crime.
Love to reading and learning
I used to be a very good pupil at school. Not because I liked learning but because my mother told me that I must have good marks. In a few years after finishing school I could hardly remember 90% of its program. I don't want my son to have high achievements in every discipline but I want him to know that every knowledge can give him additional opportunities.
Of course, I will have to deal with school system and always remember the previous paragraph of my list.
Not taking things as granted
If you want a good life - you have to do steps towards making this happen. Things don't just come. Even now when he is so young he is more likely to get a new puzzle or a toy car if he is patient at kindergarten and polite with people.
And he knows that he is lucky to have all he does because his parents work to make money and someday he will have to make his own.
Responsibility
Both for words and actions. There are too many people who do things others suffer from. I don't want my son to invent excuses for making a mistake. It would be much easier if everyone was able to say "I'm sorry - I'll fix it". And fix it.
Cooking
At least some simple and healthy dishes. I don't want him to spoil health by junk food or make his future partner a kitchen slave.
Cleaning up
Vacuuming and washing cloth is a must for a grown-up person. I've got nothing to add here.
Girls are different from boys
They are not better or worse - just different in physiology and psychology.
Girls have periods and PMS, and only they can give birth to Children - and that's how it works despite our attitude. But girls can build great careers or muscles as well as boys can be babysitters if they want.
