The Top 5 Gifts to Give Your Kids- Ever!

Spring's seasonal arrival signals Mother Nature's reawakening, a rebirth, and transformation of seemingly lifeless trees, flowers, plants and creatures great and small. Celebrating and treasuring parents on Mother's Day as well as Father's Day with everything from lovingly handmade cards to exquisitely lavish indulgences, kids pay tribute to their parental units through a myriad of demonstrative gestures.  Here's my thought, are we as parents gifting our children with essential life skills that are necessary for healthy separation and individuation from the parent-child relationships currently being nurtured? These are the top 5 gifts to give to your kids- ever!

The Top 5 Gifts to Give Your Kids- Ever!

The process of selecting a gift to purchase from a trendy retailer or a tried-and-true online merchant offers that instant extrinsic reward for so many of us parents.  But what about the intrinsic rewards of installing positive qualities of character development into our children?  Personally, I have to say that parenting has its high points and its low points as well, through it all, the process is not always easy.  If asked to consider the "Top 5 Essential Life Skills to Gift Our Children"- here are my high scorers. 

Effective Communication

Daily functioning involves an exchange of effective communication between individuals.  Higher academic and professional success rates are dependent upon being an active listener in conjunction with being a concise speaker.  Being able to relay thoughts and ideas will always stand as a valued quality to possess in life. 

Active Learning

Never mistake education for learning is a truthful saying.  Active learning consists of a process initiated through seeking information in an effort to internalize and apply this knowledge into practice.  Knowledge is empowering and the end goal of education achieved through real life application. 

Critical Thinking

Maturity in thought process is a precursor to the emerging decision-making skills that are necessary for healthy social development.  Reading between the lines balances the lessons that we are taught with the lessons that we have learned.  Evaluation of strengths and weakness demonstrates understanding and mastery of core concepts children need to meet and exceed developmental milestones.

Focused Vision

Even as young as preschool-aged, goal setting is an effective means of fostering focus on attaining short term goals.   Distractions often cause kids and adults as well to stray from focus.  Use SMART (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, Targetable) as a guide to creating focused vision towards achieving goals.  With a combination of dedication, desire, and discipline, children can be motivated towards developing more focused vision creating a healthy sense of accomplishment.

Self-Confidence

Transitions through stages of development generate emotional highs and lows that can leave the best of us feeling less than our best.  These are the times that family and friends matter most to reignite the fiery internal drive that fuels our kids to prevail through these challenges.  Empowerment through affirmations, encouragement, and motivational support  breed a positive energy that speaks awesomeness into existence.  

The law of attraction is simple, you are what you attract.  Be positive, be loving, be kind, be your best self and reap the rewards of these same seeds being planted into our children.  Share your experiences of the greatest gift you were gifted or have gifted.