I've discovered that the older I get, the smarter my parents get. Ok, so maybe they're not so much getting smarter as I am learning how smart they've been all along. Nothing has done so much to show me the depth and breadth of my parents' intelligence than becoming a parent myself. Sure, I read the books, did research online, and heard the advice of basically everyone who knew me. But the most important things I know about parenting are things I learned from my own memories.
My parents and I rarely saw eye-to-eye when I was a growing up. There are still times when we disagree over one thing or another. And there are even things about parenting that we see differently. But, still, it is from my parents that I learned what really matters when it comes to raising children.
So, here, are the 21 Most Important Parenting Lessons I Learned From My Own Parents:
1. Take pictures.
- Some kids like it. Some kids don't. But when they get all grown up, either you or they (or both) will be glad to have photographic documentation of their childhoods. You don't have to be a professional photographer or have fancy camera equipment to capture happy and funny memories. Make sure you get pictures of your child with all their relatives, especially the older ones who may not still be around once the children are all grown up.
