How to Raise a Good Kid to Become a Good Adult

The early years are the time we set the stage for the adults that our children will become. 

Think about all of the things you hope for your child as they travel through life.  Dr. Maier and I have had lengthy conversations about our hopes for our kids. They include:

• Healthy and fulfilling relationships, both with friends and eventually a partner
• Good self-esteem and pride in their accomplishments
• Independence and financial security
• Physical and mental health
• and above all else, happiness

We fully acknowledge and accept that there will be things in life beyond our control that will play a role in our children achieving these goals.  However, we also acknowledge (probably more so than most parents) that we have the power and responsibility to give our children the skills necessary to achieve the goals we've set for them to live their best lives.

As parents, we have the power and responsibility to give our children the skills necessary to achieve the goals we've set for them to have a good life.

Want your kid to have friends?  We need to teach them how to be a good friend; a friend that other children will want to play with.

Want your kid to be physically healthy?  We need to teach them to eat healthy foods and engage in physical activity (Read: 4 Tips to Address Picky Eating)

Want your child to be financially responsible?  We need to teach them to understand the value of money and the value of things. (Read: Teaching Our Kids the Value of Money) 

Make a choice to take charge in directing the path of the person that your child will become! 

Like we have talked about in other posts (Read: Everything is Behavior), so much of who our children are and who they become is pliable; there is no such thing as a bad kid, just bad behaviors that can 100% be addressed with the right supports and plans in place.