What Is the Most Important Thing You Can Give Your Child?
A child’s success in life depends to a great extent on the ability to connect with other people. We are social beings. Family is important, but throughout life a person constantly enters new environments: school, work, marriage, professional circles, communities, and different social settings. Therefore, one of the most important things we can give a child is the ability to understand people, feel comfortable among them, and build correct relationships.
This begins very early. A child who from infancy is exposed naturally to different people, children, places, and interactions gradually develops a feeling that society is not something threatening. Education at this age is mainly through example. What a child sees and experiences becomes second nature.
Later, when friends and peer groups become more important than parents, we must understand that we cannot simply forbid a child from connecting with a certain environment. Society becomes their world. If we attack their friends directly, we may only distance them from us and damage their connection with life.
Therefore, parents have to act wisely and indirectly. Before a child enters a particular environment, we should try to choose the best one available. Once they are already there, we can influence them by creating attractive alternatives: sports, photography, music, computers, cycling, or any shared activity that brings them closer to children whose values and behavior we consider healthier.
At the same time, a parent should convey values. We need to explain calmly what kinds of behavior we respect and what we do not respect, why one direction is worthwhile and another may eventually cause harm. But this should never become pressure or suppression.
A child should be treated as a partner. We can discuss situations we see in life, ask what they think, and clarify together what is happening. When we speak with them on the same level, not as someone inferior to us, they absorb these discernments much more deeply.
For children who are shy, sensitive, or introverted, social skills can be developed through practice. Group activities, workshops, discussions, games, and guided exercises can give them different models of behavior and gradually expand their ability to connect.
The main thing is not to force a child to become someone else. We should help them acquire additional tools while respecting their natural character.
Social education should also not be treated as a secondary subject. It is a key foundation of life. A person who knows how to connect healthily and harmoniously with others can find their place almost anywhere.
Based on "New Life 224 – Social Skills" with Kabbalist Dr. Michael Laitman. Written/edited by students of Kabbalist Dr. Michael Laitman.