advertisement

What do we teach our children?

When I was growing up, my parents taught me that actions speak louder than words. Children learn by what they see and hear. These are some of lessons that I have learned and would like to pass on to today's parents and their children:

1. Respect for others. If you do something to harm another person or their property, take re-sponsibility. Don't blame others who may have joined with you in your misdeed. Remember what the 33rd President Harry Truman once said, "The buck stops here."

2. Don't be a bully. If you are bullied, stand up for yourself. Bullying is not only physical; it's also demeaning another person's name, disability, race, religion, ethnic background, or beliefs that may be different from yours.

3. Have compassion. Help others in need. If you reach out to help a worthy cause or a good person who needs help, you are doing your part to repair the world.

4. Don't prejudge someone else. Get to know that person.

5. Be honest. If you lie, eventually you will trip yourself up and people will not believe you in the future.

6. If you make a promise, keep it. Don't say you will do something and then back out of it or make excuses.

We all need to set an example for our young people. We need to be their role models, as parents, grandparents, neighbors, educators, religious leaders politicians, or government officials.

Dorothy Weinberg

Glenview

Article Comments
Guidelines: Keep it civil and on topic; no profanity, vulgarity, slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked. If a comment violates these standards or our terms of service, click the "flag" link in the lower-right corner of the comment box. To find our more, read our FAQ.