I am surprised at how many children we know can't swim! Many of these kids attend dance lessons or play team sports, but have never had a swim lesson. Our family spends a lot of time around rivers, lakes and streams and the faster these two fun loving boys can do some self rescue, the better! Luckily, we live in a neighborhood that offers low-cost classes and year-round swimming. I suppose every family has their own priorities in what they want their children to know. I've been thinking of compiling a list of "Things to teach my kids before they're grown". What would be your top contenders? I'm not referring to the things everyone teaches their kids; like basic hygiene or how to safely cross the street, but rather things that are important to you and your family. Examples might be: swimming, changing the oil in the car, how to speak Gaelic, or folding a proper paper airplane.
Well, Ben will be 18 in a month. I think we taught him to laugh a lot, at himself and life; to enjoy music and movies; to have a kind heart and conscience; to have the confidence to pursue something he really wants; to have the heart of a poet and the freedom to express it in writing and speaking; to lose himself in a book; to be a loyal friend; to eat a healthy diet (that was my doing!); to have a love and a tender heart for animals; to keep his grades up and his nose clean. He also went through all the levels of swimming!
ReplyDeleteI WISH we had modeled a responsible bedtime and stressed the importance of a tidy room and putting your parent's stuff BACK! But oh well, we had to let a few things slip....