I believe that being a parent is the biggest challenge a person can have, and looking at today's generations to which I also belong to, think we take it easy, sometimes too easy. If you don't agree with me, keep reading.
The impatient anticipation of a child often comes as a need to fulfill life, new joy, and happiness. We know that this need can be met by children. Children are born as the purest beings with beautiful, uncorrupted energy. The most sincere beings, except when it comes to sweets and games. They are born with the belief that the world is full of possibilities which are achievable. They shower us with love and warmth, they laugh the most heartily but also the loudest cry because they always want to express their emotions. My nephew is the most honest man I have ever met.
Children as little creatures seek security, guidance, and their own life guide. Everyone is looking for their own. They look up to their parents, their guiding stars, and mentors. Parents, on the other hand, have their five minutes of glory with a deadline until the child turns nine years. By that time, all beliefs, fears, habits, behavior, and character have been formed. Children's mentors or home teachers from an early age, of course, try to make their child's life easier. Oftentimes children are placed under the protection framework in order to prevent negative influences, mostly from society, more precisely the environment in which they grow up. Parents try to give the child the best of all, but often the best is the opposite of what they really need. Most parents try to reflect on themselves through their children, and that way protect them from the things they had to go through in the past, not realizing that life's path has no shortcut.
On the other hand, we have the example of those who are trying to finally realize their unfulfilled dreams through their children and, unfortunately, oftentimes find a way to achieve it. The common used sentence, "I wish you only the best", contains several metaphors and is supported by the following saying, "The road to hell is paved with good intentions."
If we really want the best for them, we just need to direct, and let them go. The moment children start to walk through life with their steps, and leave their own footprints, it will lead them to the right shoes.
We all know that when we are left alone in different life circumstances, we only have what have learned, in a way that is well known and unique to us.
If a child is not strong enough to resist the influences of his mentors, it is placed under the framework of parental desires, and aspirations as an adult.
Many parents try to replace all the attention and love they cannot give to their children with material goods, most often due to lack of time. In doing so, they often forget that one smile, a nice word, and a hug are more valuable than ten toys. This is not a cliché, this is a fact. Teach children how to, love today, so they could become better humans tomorrow.
Let's try not to convey our fears, disappointments, and worries to them.
We do not instill our goals in order for them to achieve those, just because we did not succeed, but we help them compile a list of their own.
We do not infuse our insecurities but enable them to build self-confidence that cannot be easily broken tomorrow.
We do not discourage them on the way to their dreams, but we convey to them our wisdom that will encourage them.
We do not point out flaws but help them turn them into virtues.
We don't do everything for them, we teach them how to do it themselves.
We do not protect them from falls, so that tomorrow they will know how to get up without our hand.
We do not give constantly, but at some point, we teach them how to create.
We do not choose instead of them, but we encourage them to choose for themselves.
Tomorrow, that child will be to someone, a colleague at work, a husband or wife, a friend, and the most important, a parent.
It depends on us the most, how he will cope with those life roles. Will he manage to overcome all his fears or will he continue to be a child. It mostly depends on us whether we know how to make a man out of that child, in the true sense of the word, because that person will one day either point a finger on us or hug us tightly and say, "thank you".
Children should not be our triumphs, but our better versions that will know how to extend that to their descendants.
We have an assignment to prepare ourselves well, before we accept this life challenge because it is the only thing we owe them.
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