Most parents want to leave money to their children once they are gone. However, there are six non-material treasures that they should leave them with as cultivating character is worth more than money or material success.
6 treasures worth more than money
1. Family affection
Spending time with family and showing love through everyday actions creates memories of a happy childhood and builds stability later in life.
When a group of fifteen- to twenty-year-olds was asked what they remembered most from their childhood, one respondent shared this story: “I remember being five years old, sitting on the steps with my little brother and waiting for mum to pick us up. The minute she saw us, her face lit up with joy, and we couldn’t wait to run into her arms for the best hug in the world.”
Another participant shared a very different experience, saying, “All I remember is my parents staring at their phones; it makes me feel like they have no interest in me or my life at all.”
Two utterly different childhood experiences, each of them shaping family values for the future. We may not intentionally give children bad memories, but the long-term effect is the same.
As parents, take the time to recognize opportunities to spend time together – the housework will always be there, but the chance to create great memories may not be. Giving time and attention to your children is the greatest gift.
2. Gratitude
Some children are spoilt and take the good things in their lives for granted. Parents who show gratitude for their blessings nurture this trait in their children and encourage a peaceful and relaxed outlook on life.
3. Embrace nature
Many parents these days are worried about their children being injured if they play outside, so they keep them inside. However, being out in nature offers many educational opportunities. It broadens a child’s horizons and spurs their exploratory instincts.
4. Love of reading
Reading is an excellent habit as it increases knowledge and explores new ideas. Parents can help to nurture this habit by regularly taking their children to book shops and libraries. A parent who loves reading themselves and who shares this love by reading to their child is setting them up for a beautiful life of knowledge, adventure, and escape.
5. Expose them to history
Taking children to museums and art galleries helps them understand and appreciate the history that has gone before and their place in the world today. Allowing them to realize that the past is unchanging will give them a sense of permanency in an ever-changing world.
If children understand what’s behind history when they’re young, it will benefit their studies and enrich their life experiences.
6. Learn to endure hardship
Parents won’t be around forever to protect their children. If parents shield their children from all of life’s hardships, they won’t have the opportunity to develop resilience and will suffer in the future.
A father once had to walk 400kms from Luoyang to Xi’an with his ten-year-old son. Watching his father endure, the little boy wiped the sweat off his brow and kept walking, never once complaining. This experience built the boy’s tolerance to hardship, giving him an excellent foundation to deal with future difficulties.
These six treasures are crucial for a life of peace and happiness. It’s better to have skill than property and be virtuous than clever.
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