We can all recall those first memories where we either dared to ride a bicycle without the training wheels on or accidently got pink bubblegum stuck in our hair while trying to blow the biggest bubble or even wore our favorite action figure t-shirt backwards. When doing these things, there wasn’t a manual at the moment to help us with the art of bicycle riding without training wheels, an expert guide to tell us the proper formula for pulling the bubblegum free from strands of hair, or a book that would help untwist ourselves from the chaotic struggle of deciding which sleeve was for the left arm. Instead, it was our parents who came to our rescue and taught us the fundamental life lessons that many teens now disregard. From brushing your teeth to the way we hold a pencil, these are all reflective of actions we learned from those constantly around us. Widely known as “common sense” in society today, our parents – the saviors from the wrongdoings of our mistakes – helped us to differentiate right from wrong and shape our consciences starting from an early point in our lifetimes.
While a strong parental support system is not only essential to the healthy flourishing of children, it leaves behind a strong sense of meaning and value in children who grow up with these life lessons. Our parents don’t teach us Newton’s Laws of Motion or the Quadratic Formula, but they do leave us with a lesson that is more substantial. Morals and culture instilled by our parents help us define who we are as people. Friday night dinners at home can leave us with a better understanding of where we lie in the political spectrum. Family vacations teach us how to develop long term relationships with others. Just spending time with our parents helps us learn how to interact with the world around us, an important skill that almost everyone strives to obtain.
Not only do parents instill meaning in children, they provide something that school teachers can’t, a personal connection to the child themselves. Through personal connection, parents can push their children harder than teachers do in school. This is why the things that children are exposed to in their growing years is critical in setting the stage for who they will become in the future. Parents who push their children to cultivate musical abilities, build memorization techniques, and read books tend to have higher IQs and prove to be more successful later on in their lives.
The influence that our parents have on us is incomparable to that of any other person in our lives. Our parents are there with us in the most critical times of our lives to help us grow and eventually make our mark in the world. At the end of the day, they are our first teachers who educate us on how to lead our lives.
Article by Moco Student staff writer Sangeet Anand of Winston Churchill High School