8 Gifts of Parenting

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 by: Lawrence Vijay Girard

No one who has hugged their child can doubt the gift of a
child’s presence in their life. The love that is expressed in that
simple act is one of the most profound ways that we experience love in
this world. In order to nurture the special relationship of parent and
child, and fulfill our roles as parents, there are number of things
that we are signing up to do. Here is a list of eight essential ways to
fulfill our parental responsibilities.

These are gifts that we should freely give to our children without thought of what we will receive in return for our efforts.

1. The Gift of Life. It is easy to forget that in the
   act of receiving a child into our lives we are sharing the gift of life
   itself. Remembering the precious nature of life can help us to keep the
   ups and downs of daily life in a proper perspective.
   

2. The Gift of Love. The most essential
   ingredient for a happy life is love. There is no feeling more
   satisfying to the soul, both in giving and receiving, then love. When
   we include a conscious awareness of this truth and nurture it as the
   most basic value of our relationship with our children, we will find
   that many mistakes – on both sides – can be weathered.
   

3. The Gift of Time. Time is the proof of our
   caring. When you spend time with your child you are saying with your
   actions: I love you and I would rather be with you than doing anything
   else. This is one of the best ways that you can objectify your love. It
   is also one of the greatest blessings.
   

4. The Gift of Good Manners. Children from a
   young age can be taught to behave. This isn’t an imposition on their
   free will. It is a gift that will enhance their lives. The process of
   developing good manners will help them to begin learning to see how
   others are affected by their actions. Through the establishment of
   basic good manners we are giving our children a skill that will benefit
   them in every other part of life.
   

5. The Gift of Self-Control. Through the
   establishment of good manners from the very beginning we are planting
   the seeds of a character trait that can serve as a strong support for
   success in any endeavor: Self-Control. Practice cultivating
   self-control in your own self first. Then attune yourself to ways that
   you can instill these same values in your children.
   

6. The Gift of Positive Mental Culture. By
   bringing the principles of positive thinking into all areas of life we
   develop in our children the experience that all good things are
   possible. Positive mental culture includes ten overarching areas of
   development: Non-Violence, Non- Lying, Non-Greed, Non-Sensuality,
   Non-Covetousness, Cleanliness, Contentment, Self-Control, Self-Study,
   and Devotion to God.
   

7. The Gift of Education. An academic education
   isn’t essential for living successfully in this world. There have been
   numbers of great people throughout history who couldn’t read or write.
   But next to those great souls who can shine in spite of this lack of
   formal training, there are millions who could advance their lives
   immensely if they could but read and write. It isn’t enough that we
   simply send our children to school. This is a gift that opens up a
   world of information and possibilities for our children. Don’t leave
   this area to chance.
   

8. The Gift of Reverence for All Life. Along with
   these most basic gifts we need to add a reverence for the sanctity of
   all life. While we can’t make our children believe in God or appreciate
   the beauty and value of the incredible variety of life forms that
   inhabit our planet, we can communicate our own belief. Not to share
   your view on these issues is to - by default - preach that they have no
   value. The communication and application of the highest aspects of life
   should always be at the forefront of family life.
   

Given the mixture of things that we want to share with our
children we will need to mix and match according to how the soup is
cooking. This is one of the beauties of life – its variety and
spontaneity. It will, no doubt, turn out different than what we had
anticipated in the beginning. If we give our children these eight gifts
we will be well on our way to fulfilling our duties as parents and
sharing with them the tools that will allow them to experience the best
that life has to offer.

© 2003 Lawrence Girard

This article has been provided to you courtesy of
Lawrence Vijay Girard, author of Positive Flow Parenting. For more
information about his books, articles and seminars, visit his website
at http://FruitgardenPublishing.Com

About the Author

Lawrence Vijay Girard is the author of Positive Flow Parenting. Along with being a parent of twins and serving in the past as a soccer coach, scout leader and martial arts instructor, he is currently the spiritual director of the Anandagiri Path of Self-Realization and has more than 30 years of experience in practicing and sharing principles and techniques for integrating spiritual truths with the challenges of daily life.

LawrenceGirard@FruitgardenPublishing.Com

Article Title: 8 Gifts of Parenting

Author Name: Lawrence Vijay Girard

Email: LawrenceGirard@FruitgardenPublishing.Com

Word Count: 766

Category: Parenting / Self-Improvement

Copyright Date: 2003

Web Address: http://www.FruitgardenPublishing.com

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