The Value of Adult Guidance

 TRAIN NOW

A child who looks to adults for guidance is more likely to display wisdom and maturity later in life.

TEACH BY EXAMPLE

*  Am I a good role model for my children?

*  Do I show my children that I look up to those with greater experience as mentors? 

*  Do I demonstrate that my children are important to me by spending time with them? 

WHAT WE DID

"Sometimes when I am in the middle of something, my daughter will say she wants to talk.  I always make sure that she is a priority, even if I have to tell her to wait a few minutes so she can have my undivided attention.  My wife and I  also strive to set a good example that she will see that we live by the same principles we are teaching her." - David.

"When our daughter was born , my husband and I decided that I would not work but would stay  home to help raise her. I do not regret  that decision. It is very important to do as much as possibnle to be present in a child's life so that he or she will have proper guidance and direction. More important, being there shows your child that you care." - Lisa.

SPENDING TIME WITH ADULTS

"My children have grown up around a diverse group of adults, and this had helped them to see life through other people's experiences.  For example, they were amazed when my grandmother told them that she was a little girl, her family was the first one to get an electric light.  She told them that people from our surrounding areas came to their home just to stand in the kitchen and watch the light being turned on and and on off. That story made my  children see how different life use to be.  Learning about their great grand-grandmother in this way also helped them to have respect for her and for other older ones.  When children spend more time  with adults-and less with their peers-they are alive to see life from a different perspective." - Maranda.

Next time: The Need for Moral Values - WHAT ARE MORAL VALUES?

From the jw.org publications