For those who want kids: What will you teach them?

I'm like 50/50 on the whole kid thing. If I ever did decide to have a kid I'd probably adopt. Infants scare the hell out of me so I'd probably adopt around the age of 3-5. Sadly, for them, that's still an impressionable age and they'll likely catch some of my crazy.

I can't honestly give a list of what I'd teach and what I wouldn't teach because I have no idea. They definitely wouldn't have the normal mindset of other kids their age. I'd probably teach them about all the different religions and let them choose which, if any, to believe in. I'd teach them to be themselves even in the face of diversity. I'd teach them to take the path less traveled.

There's a lot of things I wouldn't teach them but lets be honest ... once they hit the teenage years they're likely to find out anyway.

Just remember to teach them as much as you can before puberty because then the likelihood that anything you say is going to get through drops dramatically.

-Nights

 

On second thought, there is one thing I' d keep in mind. One of my friends got a kid shortly after my sister got hers. He' s an ex-con, he lost his parents around the time he was ten, got raised harshly after that, dropped out of his school, barely knows how to read or write and is indebted for years and years to come. Needless to say, self esteem isn' t his forte. We were having a discussion about what he wanted to give as a legacy to his kid a while back, and at some point he said "well it' s not like I can help him with the school stuff or make him smart". I told him it was actually pretty easy, you just have to keep them curious and the rest will follow. Shake their routine, introduce new stuff, soon they won' t need you to seek it on their own. Well, actually they instinctively do seek it on their own, but it' s something society at large quickly tends to repress (even school itself in some ways, ironically).

 

I agree. I included this in my first post by proxy. There is a lot to be said for nurturing personal curiosity and ambition.

 

I find myself permanently unable to decide whether I want kids or not, but I could think of some things I'd want to make sure they know if I did have them. So in no particular order:

• People are awesome. Sometimes people are jerks and sometimes people are stupid, but as a whole humanity is awesome and a few bad ones, no matter how bad or how publicized, don't change that fact.
• Nothing is impossible, as a human your biggest asset is that you get to set your own limits, you can do anything if you just believe that you can do it, but you'll have to put the work in to get it done.
• Hurting others is wrong, period. That means hurting them emotionally as well as physically. But remember that it's not just that easy, sometimes you'll hurt people without meaning to, sometimes you'll hurt people on purpose for one reason or another, maybe you'll have to hurt one person to protect someone else, just remember that hurting people is wrong and be ready to deal with consequences. And sometimes people are going to hurt you, that doesn't mean it's okay for you to hurt them.
• I don't expect you to never have sex, I'm not that naive, but I do expect you to make sure you/the girl you're with don't/doesn't get pregnant and that you don't get any STDs. I also think it would be better if you waited until you were married to have sex.
• The world is a big, scary place, but you shouldn't be afraid of it.
• God loves you and he has a plan for you, sometimes you'll just have to trust in that.
• You won't always be able to see the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel, but that doesn't mean it isn't there.
• Machismo is definitely not the same thing as manliness.
• You should never hit a girl/you should never hit a boy because he shouldn't hit you back.
• If you're going to get in a fight be prepared to get hurt.
• Believe in yourself.
• Pride is stupid, be humble instead.
• Always listen when somebody gives you advice, because good advice can come from anywhere, and if it's bad advice then just forget about it after they give it to you.

I just realized I could make this list go on forever, so unless anyone's especially interested in the stuff I'm leaving off, I'm gonna stop there.

 

• READ A BOOK
• Most if not everything you see on television is not only wrong but is designed to make you stupid and feel bad about being you.
• Same with magazines
• EVERYTHING is pretty much designed to make you stupid and feel inadequate. This is called capitalism and is how your daddy makes sure YOU DON'T DIE!
• Don't be lazy. Try and engage yourself in SOMETHING as much as possible.
• Everyone needs a little help. Don't be afraid to lend a hand
• Don't be afraid to accept help either, we're all on this ass of a planet together.
• That being said don't baby people. Unless it's a baby which you shouldn't be having until the age of 70 anyway
• If the general public has something to say about a hobby, it's probably wrong. NOT THE HOBBY! WHAT THEY'RE SAYING
• Don't settle for the average. Always aim for the best
• Respect those who respect you
• Learn to Love. Hate is a virus that affects everyone around you, even the people you don't hate. It will only serve to make you bitter bitter and more bitter.
• Think long and hard about your actions so that you don't regret. It's probably gonna happen at some point but the important thing is that you learn from your mistakes.
• Don't let people take advantage of you
• Cry it out
• Everything is worth looking into unless it's some Lovecraftian horror.
• Be genuine to yourself and others
• To quote Shounen manga #456545 "Protect what's precious to you". Doesn't matter if it's your family, your friends or your Star Wars glass. Always be willing to protect what you love.
• 2D>3D
• Your father spends his days on image boards, typing up rudimentary lines of code and talking on websites about Disney characters and homoerotic Japanese pretty boys. In other words, don't listen to anything he says.