Lessons learned: Teachable moments for children

Teachable moments are great opportunities to teach kids positive lessons. I would like to share with parents how to turn six experiences into teachable moments. After you’ve gone through a new experience, you should take some time to re-evaluate the situation by asking yourself:

• What can I learn from this experience?
• What changes can I make?
• How did this experience help me grow?
• How did I cope with this situation?

Teachable moments are a great way to learn. Most of us (including kids) learn best from real life experiences and examples. Both kids and adults can benefit from teachable moments. Here are six examples of teachable moments for your kids:

1. Teach your children social responsibility by giving their toys and clothes that no longer fit them to the local charity or church, taking cans of food to the local food bank, and volunteering.
2. Random acts of kindness can be learned by your children every time they see you doing an act of kindness. The other day we were on the train to the city and I gave my seat to a pregnant mom. My daughter thought I was both kind and brave to talk to a stranger. I knew that I just taught her to pay it forward. Every time you pay it forward you get a boost of happiness that lasts 24-72 hours and a boost of self-esteem so it’s a win-win for everyone.
3. Step outside of your comfort zone on a daily basis and in front of your kids and they will see it’s okay to take risks. It can be something small such as trying a new food or drink. We know that the happiest and most successful people take daily risks. Another important lesson is realizing that even if the risk doesn’t turn out as planned, you still made it through and learned from it.
4. Show mutual respect and kindness towards others by holding the door open, saying thank you, smiling, etc. You’re making the world a kinder place while teaching your kids to be kind and respectful to others. The world needs much more of this.
5. Praising your child when they make good decisions and ethical choices is a great tool for learning.
6. Choosing Perspective – we need to break the cycle of how we look at mistakes/failures. We need to trust in our mistakes/failures as stepping-stones into our right path. Mistakes/failures become opportunities when we can look at as an open door to the right path in life. Teach your children that it’s okay to make mistakes/failures.

Diane Lang – Positive Living Expert and life coach – is a nationally recognized speaker, happiness author, educator, therapist and media expert. Lang is extremely mediagenic and offers expertise on a variety of health and wellness topics about creating balance and finding happiness through positive living as well as multiple mental health, lifestyle and parenting needs. In addition to holding multiple counseling positions, Diane is also an adjunct professor at Montclair State University.  Lang has been interviewed for numerous magazine and newspaper articles and has been a frequent guest on radio and TV shows including "Fox & Friends" on the Fox News Network. Lang is a monthly contributor for "Family Beautiful" magazine, a weekly columnist for MommyTalk.com, a regular featured expert on the "Expat Show" broadcasted weekly on the New York ABC affiliate WTBQ-AM, and a Blogger at www.pazoo.com.    Lang speaks to employees of large companies to help reduce stress in the workplace and speaks to parents about how to create balance and find happiness along with a variety of other health and wellness topics.  For more information on Diane Lang's books  visit <dlcounseling.com/books.html>  or visit dlcounseling.com.