Family

Peaceful Warriors~breaking the cycle

Do you remember your childhood? What memories haunt you, which comfort you? We were all so strong and confident, so ready to take on the world, we had power in our imagination, and we had nothing but strength in our hands and hearts. Our dreams were everything. Children are innocent, gloriously innocent, they still believe in the world around us, don’t take that from your children, let them play, let them get dirty, let them fall, then pick them up,and tell them to try again, how you speak to them holds a huge impact on their mental and emotional states. If a child is taught they are useless, dumb, inadequete that is what they believe, and that is who they become, don’t be like your parents, don’t drown them in your own issues, don’t talk about your bills, and your mortgage and how much you hate your job, the word hate breeds hate, it teaches them to be angry. Be better than our parents, teach them good things, teach them that there is no limit to what they can become or achieve. Show them mercy, and they will show others mercy. Don’t strike them, it takes away their trust, and you are their heroes. Don’t take that from them. Fathers are honest, strong, faithful and protective, mothers are loving, strong and kind they are teachers. Teach them that no matter what the truth is always better than being right.

Children are blank canvases, and how you paint them will determine who they become and this will determine the quality of their lives, forever. Be careful what you teach them, they are smart, and absorb everything they see and hear. If you think they can’t hear you fighting in the other room, yes they can. Couldn't you hear your parents fighting in the next room, how did that make you feel? Did it frighten you? Family is the foundation, do not shake this, It frightens them because you are the most important people in their lives, don’t take their trust away. Let them be bold, let them dress themselves, let them pick out the books they want to read, let them pick their own friends, and let them see the beauty in the world around us. Show them how lucky they are, by volunteering at soup kitchens.

We can teach our children that there are good things and bad things, prepare them, but don’t scare them, you can protect them without frightening them, soon enough they will understand the stresses of the world and what is expected of them as adults. We get to be children once in a lifetime, how you teach them is who they will become. Teach your boys not to hit women, teach them violence is not the answer. There is a difference between defending yourself and violence, teaching your girls not to manipulate boys, teaching them that a man's feelings are as equal as theirs. Stop trying to stereotype them, men can be ballet dancers, chefs, and women can be soldiers and doctors, that's right, they can be anything they want, anything they put their beautiful fragile minds to. Teach them the word No, No you can’t touch me there, no, you can’t hit me. Self worth is important! Teach them better than your parents taught you. This is the only way we will break the cycles of hatred, racism and violence. Teach them respect towards their elders, it's a lost art now, Teach your children that we are a rainbow, each race is a beautiful important part of our communities and earth. They say that a child is who they will be, by the time they reach 13. Make sure they know what is right and what is wrong, and most importantly believe them, stand up for them, you are their shield from the harm the world will eventually fall upon them. We can’t stop the ugliness in this world, but we can teach our children not to be part of it. We can teach them to stand up against injustice, racism and censorship, teach them to be brave, to speak out against these things. For as strong as the human mind is, it's equally as fragile, and the wrong words can send someone down a bad path, the wrong path. Teach them to forgive as often as they can. It's okay to be wrong, teach them to apologize. But teach them not to be stepped on, or disrespected, and please no matter how angry you are, take a breath, show them that you can be angry and calm at the same time. Yelling is another angry tool, an angry parent will create an angry child, who will become an angry adult. The world is changing, and in this change we see confusion of gender, race, rights. Show the to give.

A blind man once told me that we are all the same, when you close your eyes we are not different, we still cry when someone hurts us, we bleed if someone hits us. The next generation of children must be peaceful warriors, they will go on to shape the new world, so teach them good things, teach them that emotion is pure and that men can cry as well as women, it doesn’t make them weak, it shows courage to be yourself. Protect them, but let them learn lessons. Being a parent is a frightening, joyful, learning experience, let's face it we are learning to be parents as they are learning to be human beings. No manuals as of yet!

Each generation hurts the next, it's a cycle that has to end, teach them well, for their sake. Help them create a better world than what we were given, so their children do not suffer like we did, and the generations before us. Be the change, be good to your children. When they look up to you, their eyes are full, and wide, and open to what you bring to them. No matter how busy you are, stop and read that book, sit with them, talk to them not at them. Sit and eat together, it's not cliche, it's a way to communicate, and keep up with their lives. Phones off, forks up, smiles wide. Praise them, tell them they are amazing, tell them you are proud of them every day. Give them chores, and teach them responsibility, and watch the pride they feel, like a light shining from their souls.

My generation has made so many mistakes, let's not put them on our children. Let them be what we wanted, to be free. Let them be peaceful warriors.