It may be a duty of the parent to teach their children about the world, to share important values and sentiment. But there are times that the tables can be turned, and when they do, it can be a genuinely pleasant surprise.
After wanting to focus on the joys of parenting, and celebrating how amazing it can be, we talked to the top parenting bloggers about what their children taught them.
Leila, Single Mum Diaries
The most valuable thing I have been taught by my daughter is to cherish time. Prior to being a mother I was so consumed with time, always running late, constantly rushing onto the next project, never stopping to take it all in. I now appreciate the small things in life, like every single night we go to find the moon, we admire it in the sky and say good night before heading inside. My daughter will look at all creatures great and small as if they are some magical beautiful thing from ladybugs to ants and we are always stopping to admire their little lives going on around us. Prior to having a child, I had forgotten about the smaller details and taking the time out to acknowledge them. I am eternally grateful to be able to see the world through her eyes, so full of wonder, so full of excitement and just happy to experience everything in the world around her. It’s nice to take time out of my busy schedule to do the same.
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Sarah, Mum Muddling Through
I’d say that having children has really taught me about the things that are important in life. Family, nature, laughter – just simple things. When I was made redundant it was a pivotal moment to step off the treadmill and see it as a gift; that actually more time with my children at this stage in life was the best thing that could happen to me. The kids don’t care about career promotion, designer labels, the star rating on your family holiday – they can teach us so much about enjoying the simple things and not getting caught up in the stresses and pressures of our materialistic modern life.
Social Media: Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest
Sarah, Mum of Three World
The most valuable thing I’ve been taught by my children is that they are all different. They might share the same genes, two of them even share the same gender, but they are not the same. Children shouldn’t be forced to play football just because their brother liked it, because they might not like it. I have one boy who loves football and rugby and another who loves hiking and climbing. I also have a daughter who loves ballet and is very good at it. I would never have seen that one coming based on my own genes! All of them chose to do these activities for themselves as they get older and as a result they are all happy and thriving and they are very much individuals.
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Stacey, One Small Human
My children have taught me that you can have the best day of your life without spending a penny. We enjoy ourselves so much wandering round the woods or doing treasure hunts in the garden. They laugh constantly. We’ve really learned to make the most of the world around us since having children.
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Jules, Chiswick Mum
The most powerful lesson my son has taught me is to live in the moment and seek the joy in the everyday. He doesn’t care so much about getting to school in time as he does about making sure we play our favourite make-believe story along the way (currently a complicated version of Harry Potter where he plays himself and I play all the other characters – with voices”). Of course we still do need to get to school on time (most days we manage it) and the kitchen does need to be tidied (ditto – but with less success). But my son has taught me that if we’re not having fun along the way then what’s the point? And I never feel good all day just because we made it to school before the bell. But our little laughs and giggles & intense make-believe fill me with little pockets of joy that I can draw from throughout the day. You can’t put a value on that!
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Lola, 2MumsViews
The most valuable thing I’ve been taught by my children would have to be patience.
In today’s fast paced society where we want everything now, many of us struggle with this, but it is such a vital life skill which we need to help our kids understand. Being patient is not just about waiting, what’s more important is your attitude while waiting!
I’ve learnt I can nurture my kids better through displaying patient behaviour.
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Jodie, This Mum Business
The most valuable thing I have been taught by my child is to accept people and open myself up to friendships. It’s easy to be completely guarded as adults made cynical by experience but children teach us so much about accepting people on face value and placing trust in others. There is something so magical about watching your child play with another they met five minutes ago, bonded through play and laughter.
Social Media: Facebook, Twitter
Stevie, A Cornish Mum
I would say that the most important thing they have taught me is that you don’t need to be perfect. To your children, especially when they are growing up, you are everything. They don’t see your ‘faults’ or the bits that make you frown in the mirror, they just see you and I think we all need to see ourselves through our children’s eyes more. They won’t remember if you looked a little overweight or your hair was constantly a mess, they’ll remember the times that you laughed and smiled with them. There really is nothing like that level of unconditional love.
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Amongst the stress of parenting, it’s always important to evaluate the amazing lessons we’re being taught by our young ones. Parenting is tough, but it is always rewarding beyond compare. Take a look at the top debunked parenting myths while you’re here!