Out of Words

Day 21 of 30: What three lessons do you want your children to learn from you

1. Discipline

I had more of a laid-back childhood. Both my parents are laid-back people. They are chill but responsible, since both also came from rather financially-difficult childhood. Boy, my grandparents from both sides were crazy strict! (if you familiar with old Indonesian family upbringing, you’d get the idea). My parents raised their kids with laid-back style, never forced us to do anything, like waking up in the morning, not being late to school or even control our homework. Maybe because they don’t really agree with how they were brought up, so they wanted to do things differently with us. At least growing up, I didn’t have to worry about my parents getting angry with me not being ‘discipline’. I have to learned it myself, to push myself to have a more structured lifestyle. I was okay with being laid-back before, but it borderlines lazy that sometimes, I interpret laziness as being laid-back. One moment I realized that continuing this lifestyle will not get me anywhere. I know I need to change, and it is effing hard. I know my children need to learn stricter discipline. Not as strict as my grandparents did, obviously, but I have to make them learn to structure their day to day life. If I managed to do it, right, I know they’d thank me later. (I guess)

2. Love of Books

I want them to love books not because I love books, too. Because, I secretly respect reader more than non-reader (I’m sorry if it sounds snob, okay). There is much more than just a story or practical knowledge from reading. We learn to be patient, to listen, to observe, to analyze, to look into details, and to sympathize. I think that readers have bigger world than their own. Sometimes, in a good way it will make them more aware about other people. I want to make reading experience one of their base for character building. And, guess what? I’m starting to create a reading list for my children! Lol.
I know, it’s a little too early.

3. Healthy Lifestyle

It is related to the first point. Something about lifestyle. Healthy lifestyle is something that I want to acquire lately. With things going on in my life plus my not so healthy body that carries hormonal imbalance and stuff made my mood swings so bad. It is miserable not to be in control of my emotions. I believe that I don’t have clinical mental problem, so it must be physical. Lately, with exercise and more plant-based intake, I feel lighter and somewhat happier. Not happy like cheery happy, but I feel more relaxed. I didn’t have bad anxiety anymore, I didn’t feel like my life is on the edge and I am about to fall. At least nothing that I can handle in my own way. Maybe my children won’t need that. Maybe they will be born with more stable mentality and their hormones would be just fine. But, still, health is something that people often take for granted. We do anything that harm our health while ignoring the fact that health itself is a gift. So, I basically want to teach them to care for their gifts, because it is not something that they can just ask to get it.

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