How to Raise a Humble Child

With all the glitz and glamour the media depicts it may seem difficult to raise a humble child. Raising a child humbly is important because it will help them grow into emotionally healthy and sound individuals. Children who lack humility are often deemed as spoiled, unappreciative, insensitive, rude and arrogant. Qualities like these are not very favorable to have and will easily make your child become disliked by many. I offer some tips below on how to raise a humble child.

Avoid buying your child gifts based on the brand and price. While it is true that purchasing the top product brands may garner you the best use and best results, it can become a nasty habitat to pick and reject products because of their price value. Imagine your child receiving a gift from a lower end or lesser known brand and turning their nose up at it because it is not expensive. That would be a very harsh and hurtful way to react to the person who purchased the gift. It is always good to alternate between brands and not comment on its price.

Avoid using words like cheap when describing items. It is good to use the word in a way that describes how much you have saved but it is not a good idea to call a gift cheap. The item may not be of the best quality but you do not have to verbally express this. Instead of saying this is cheap you can say this item isn't working as good as I thought it would. For articles of clothing you can say these jeans don't fit as good as I would like them to.

Always make your child verbally express gratitude for gifts he does not like. There will be plenty of times where your child receives a gift that he does not like. As a parent it is important for you to teach your child to be kind and say thank you for the gift. Use the old adage, if you have nothing nice to say then don't say anything at all to show your child that some things are better left unsaid. After all, it is the thought that counts.

Avoid giving your child everything he/she wants even if he begs, screams, and throws tantrums. Children are very smart and will use the power of persistence and tantrums to get the things they want. Parents need to be a bit smarter and avoid giving in to their children's demands. It can be hard to say no to their adorable little faces but not saying no can have some negative effects on their personality and the way they view the world. A child that gets the majority of the things they ask for will expect to always be first and get whatever he wants. These children seem to have a nasty sense of entitlement. This type of quality can make it hard for them to function as healthy adults. So use the word yes sparingly and use money in moderation.

Have your child volunteer his/her time a few hours a week or a month. This is one of the best ways to humble a child. Servicing others shows empathy and compassion. There are so many ways that your child can lend their time. If your child is older and does well in a certain subject, they can tutor younger kids or kids their age. They can work at a shelter serving meals. They can be a companion or helper to an elderly person. They can work at a hospital reading to and playing with the sick children there or they can work at an animal shelter. Your child can learn to take time out for others all while having fun.

Take time out to research crisis and poverty with your child. Your child's perception of the world does not have to be one dimensional meaning, that the only world the child knows shouldn't have to be just their own. Teach your children about poverty within their own country and around the world. This will help open their eyes to the unfortunate situations of many and help them feel more appreciative of the things they have themselves.

Give your child chores. Many parents avoid giving their children chores because they feel that it is the parents' job or they feel as though the children will do an inadequate job. While children may not do a neat job as their parents it is still better to let them try rather than excluding them from house chores. Parents should start giving their children chores as soon as they are able to walk without assistance and grasp objects. A 2 year old can have the responsibility (with assistance) of placing her toys back into their right place when she is done playing with them. Chores teach children responsibility and how to take care of themselves and their home.

Hold your child accountable for things done wrong. Confrontations are always hard but that should not influence parents to avoid holding their children accountable for things done wrong. Some parents have the strong desire to fix what is broken or to shield their child from having to face consequences. This type of shielding can be negative as it will not teach the child proper problem solving skills. It may make the child careless as to the mistakes they make because they have been taught not to worry because mom and dad will fix it. These children have a hard time seeing the seriousness in situations making it harder for them to correctly identify and come to the solution for most of their problems.

Guide children and ground them. Children need guidance. Guidance is when parents stand on the sidelines while their children go through life making choices and bumping into obstacles. Parents state heir input here and there when needed as the child makes his way in the world. It is also important to ground or discipline children when they have behaved improperly; this is similar to holding your child accountable. When children get into trouble for something they have done it makes them feel that they are cared for and they will be less prone to making bad choices. Children without any guidance and infrequent reprimanding are more prone to act out and make bad decisions.

Make your child work for the things he wants. Parents should always provide their children with the things they need to survive such as; food, shelter, and clothing but parents do not have to provide their child with things that he wants. It is definitely okay to purchase your child gifts here and there but it should not become routine. If a child desires items frequently then parents should make him work for those products. If a child is old enough he can take on a job or parents can pay for the child for odd jobs done around the house. Making children work for their wants teaches them to value the products they purchase more.