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What can I do to make sure that my child grows up to be a really great kid?

If you want to have great kids later on, it is never too early to start teaching them the important social and interpersonal skills that are necessary to become that. These include empathy, honesty, respect for others and themselves, and generosity, among other skills.

At age three, your child is beginning to understand that not everything is about him or her. This is the perfect time to encourage empathy. Talk to your child about other people’s feelings, or point them out when you read together. Say things like ‘Oh shame, that girl is crying, she must be sad.’ When your child understands that other people have the same feelings he or she does, it is easy to raise an empathetic child!

Generosity is another key trait of a great kid. Teaching your child to share with others, and praising selfless acts – even if they are as simple as letting a friend play with a favourite toy, is the easiest way to begin teaching generosity to a preschooler.
If you want your child to be responsible, it is important to give him or her something to be responsible for. Assign simple tasks that your child is responsible for, and make sure that you praise your child for completing them.

As for honesty, if you want to raise an honest child, you need to make the rewards of being honest outweigh the penalties. Do not punish your child if he or she tells you something that they have done that is wrong – rather praise them for their honesty. If your child associates being honest with a positive outcome, then he or she is more likely to favour honesty in the long term.

When it comes to respect, it is your job as a parent to teach your child that everyone deserves respect, and that if you want respect, you need to give it too. Make sure you are always polite and respectful with and around your child, and praise him or her when he or she is respectful to others.

Whatever traits you are hoping to instil in your child, remember that actions speak louder than words, and that you need to practice what you preach – your child will emulate your behaviour, so make sure that you are a great person, and you should raise great kids!

More questions

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