• turning off electrical appliances that are not in use to save on electric bill
• turning off the faucet when not in use, wise use of water, reuse is possible to save on water, a very precious commodity
• home-cooked food is not only cheaper than dining out, it could be healthier
• being healthy to avoid getting sick
• buying only the things one needs, and not the things one wants
• work harder ( like get better grades, help in house chores) in exchange for something you want your parents to buy for you
• planning chores/errands to save time

It helps too that they know about financial planning (budgeting, balancing maybe even about investing, fidelity bond insurance and insurance benefits later on), foresight on future financial capabilities or lack of it and other skills that they would definitely need in the future to avoid filing for Chapter 7.

“I don’t want to grow old yet, if only I can turn back the clock, I would have lived a healthier lifestyle, enjoyed bonding with my children when they were still young and did things I would regret not doing now that I can’t do these anymore.”

When one is at a stage in their lives that they feel they should have done more things when they were still able to, you know it is a wake-up call for you too. I remember reading something about “when you are young you are too busy making money that you tend to forget about taking care of your health and when you have enough money, you spend it to help yourself live longer and be healthy”. Not the exact gist but something like it.

I know for some, they’d rather be healthy even if they are not young anymore so they can still choose about whether to spend swimming or hiking during weekend without having to think about reading the latest novatest review.

I found this article offering good tips on how to enjoy life when one is younger. For me though, these life lessons can still be applied no matter what age. I wrote several topics on how to be better in terms of:

• Spend Time Wisely
• Be Thankful
• Life Lessons for my Children
• Time Management
• Reflections
• Hug Your Child
• Go Slow

Easier said than done, I know, but if we don’t want to have regrets in life later on, we should start doing what is right and what is proper when we are still young

I dread the time when I have to “let go” of my children and let them “fly” and chase their dreams.

Being a parent is a life that needs checks and balances. It is a life that is centered on your children but should not be an excuse to lose focus on yourself. Being a parent means learning new ways to give more, to be more understanding and patient and to love more than love itself.

It felt odd when I had to “let go” of the two younger ones when they moved to regular school after three years of homeschooling.

Would I be ready for bigger steps in the near future?

I hope I will be as it is, we can never be ready enough because no matter what, our children will always be our babies.

Why is it that having extra-curricular activities like learning how to play the guitar is important in the development of children?

First, they learn discipline. One can’t be a good gymnast without spending hundreds of hours practicing. The same discipline goes with playing musical instruments as well as learning how to paint.They don’t need to know everything at one time, just go slowly step by step until they master what they’re really good at.

The passion for music does not just mean playing musical instrument, it could also mean learning about tracktion 3 or even composing new songs.

Second is that learning new skill boosts the children’s self-confidence because they know they have talents and skills to show.

Third would be knowing that because they were able to master a skill, they will understand that whatever they want to achieve in the future, with the right dedication and hard work plus support from their family, they can be what they want to be.

Encouraging your children and giving them the much-needed support to be able to reach their goals and make their dreams a reality. There are no definite steps or ways to make these happen. More often than not, parents do not merely lead what they think is best for their children but they feel and know what it is their children like.

There are of course those parents who insist on making their children do things without regard if the children are liking the experiences but that is another story.

So, how can parents encourage their children?

• Develop their self-esteem.
• Be able to provide for avenues to let them have experiences and develop skills that will further hone their talents. These need not be expensive, with the right creative approach, parents can give their children the support they need.
• Encourage them to love learning new things like making best friend gift ideas rather than buying or by trying out new things to see what they really want to pursue.
• Encourage them to be creative because being creative can open avenues for them to explore further.
• Let them know that mistakes don’t mean that they failed, but these are chances for them to stand up and do better.
• Love them unconditionally.
• Set limits. As a parent, you’ll know when is the right time for setting limit

Of course, there was no way I will burst their bubble by saying that … never mind. When asked if I tell my children about Santa Claus, I tell them that I teach the children about the birth of Jesus Christ and what it represents to the Christians.

I also tell them that we traditionally ask the children to choose what they want for Christmas to be given as gifts. They are surprised I do that. But I tell them, better we give what they like (as long as these are within the budget) than they get something they don’t like.

So what do we teach the children about Christmas besides the Bible-related verses? We teach them that Christmas is about:

• Love. Loving your family and friends not just during the Christmas season but the whole year through. Year after year after year.
• Generosity. Generosity that does not just pertain to gifts and things that money can buy but generosity of kind words, respect and kind words among others.
• Family. Christmas is about family and how we should treasure each and everyone in our family.

I hope you all had a blessed Christmas!

This post written today, December 28th, but time-stamped for an earlier date for the ABC posts that I had not done since the last post I published dated December 6.