Tyler Perry had it right when he said, “Developing a good work ethic is key. Apply yourself at whatever you do because that work ethic will be reflected in everything you do in life.”
Share it, promote it, and model it every day by being reliable, cooperative, productive, self-disciplined, and dedicated to whatever task is at hand. Your kids may well follow your lead.
And when making 2022’s resolutions, consider going beyond the usual of losing weight and eating more fiber, etc. Ditto for your kids and their hopes to do better in school and read more.
Those are all good promises to make but help your children think out of the box, too, like getting more curious.
For instance, yesterday, Prevention Magazine taught me that my diaphragm forms a parachute between my chest and abdomen. I inhale, it flattens. and in comes the air. Exhaling relaxes it, deflating my lungs, and I breathe out carbon dioxide.
How cool is that?
And did you know that:
- Of the 3,000 different languages spoken around the world, only about 150 have a written form?
- Some ant colonies move up to 40 tons of dirt when digging their homes?
- Americans eat 75 acres of pizza in a year, enough to cover 60 football fields?
- A bridge built in 1610 in Lima, Peru, made of mortar mixed with 10,000 egg whites instead of water still stands?
Says Psych Central, “Curiosity primes the brain for learning,” enhancing social relationships, happiness, life satisfaction, and get this: “The mind is like a miracle. It becomes stronger with exercise, and there is no better mental exercise than curiosity.”
So, get your kids asking questions, using the 5 W’s and an H: Who, what, where, when, why, and how. Then maybe:
- Go on scavenger hunts.
- Visit a museum, zoo, and or arboretum.
- If not doing so already, subscribe to a newspaper, kid-friendly magazines, too, such as Highlights for Children and Time for Kids.
- Wonder out loud, like why is the sky blue, and what about those clouds, etc.
- Pick up a magnifying glass and maybe a microscope, too.
You get the idea…
Consider adding gratitude to the list, as well. Psychology Today tells us it “opens the door to more relationships…” It reportedly also improves physical and psychological health, enhances empathy, reduces aggression, betters sleep, self-esteem, and “mental strength.”
Now that’s a lot of bang for your buck. A simple “thank you” goes a very long way…
With thanks and 2022 happiness and stay well wishes, Carol