Parenting can be tricky when it comes to getting your child all set out for the battle of tough competitions (daily).

We all know that a kid’s nature and personality are largely biologically based and inherited. But various environmental conditions can lead children with similar nature to act quite differently. And rather than books and other surroundings, the most important factor that influences a child is you, the parent. Research says that 90-95% of brain growth happens in the first 5 years and hence 90% of the brain’s capacity develops before the child reaches age 5. So during these important years of growing, your child needs some basic lessons from you which could shape his future into a better one.

So here are 5 things every parent should teach their kids before the age of 5 so that they nurture good physical, mental & social behaviour in them:

Honesty

Teach your child to be honest no matter what because being an honest human will help them become a better person. But the best way to encourage truthfulness in your child is to be one yourself. Until and unless you stop lying even about the smallest things your child will think that it’s okay to lie sometimes and in-fact that’s what most people do. Another way to promote the value of honesty is when you don’t overreact if your child lies to you. Instead, help them find a way to tell the truth. It’s very important to make them understand that even if being honest isn’t always easy or comfortable, you and other people always feel better if you tell the truth and it is for the best.

Respect

the second important thing you should teach your child is respecting every other individual. It’s important to remember that children aren’t born with a built-in sense of respect for others. While each child has a different personality, all children need to be taught to be respectful. Your job as a parent is to teach your child to be able to function in the world. This means teaching him or her to behave respectfully to others, not just you. Be it the teachers, friends or the guests visiting your home.

Gratitude

Gratitude in simple terms means being thankful and appreciating the good things you have. It’s easy to teach your kid to say just “Thank You” when he or she receives something from someone. But the bigger challenge is to make them understand why they should be happy with what they already have or what they are receiving. Teach them to enjoy small things instead of being sad about nothing achieving bigger ones. Cultivating the sense of gratefulness in your children make them understand the world better.

Importance of the word ‘Sorry’

You can teach your child the meaning of sorry through a simple line – “We say sorry when we do something that hurts or bothers someone.” But it’s very important to teach them the necessity of accepting their own mistakes and apologizing for it while really meaning it. Kids may sometimes easily blurt out “I’m sorry” just to satisfy their parents but when a child knows how to say he’s sorry, he gains more than social skill. He learns how to undo his mistakes, takes responsibility for his actions, and consider others’ feelings.

Identify and express feelings

Children between the ages of 0 to 5 years have a hard time identifying how they are feeling and how to clearly express these feelings. Learning to identify and express emotions in a positive and healthy way helps young children build a stronger foundation of success later in life. A child who understands and can deal with emotions has “emotional competence” which means he can express his feelings appropriately. Children with emotional competence are likely to do well in school and engage in positive relationships with other children and family members. They can understand how others might be feeling. They are also more likely to help others and to find ways to deal with negative situations.

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