08/03/2026
5 lessons we’re teaching our kids before they turn 5.
1. Speak up for yourself.
Even at a young age, we want our kids to have the confidence to speak for themselves. If they don’t like something, we want them to tell us. At first, this was an adjustment because sometimes it sounded like they were talking back. 😂
But we’d rather teach them how to respectfully express themselves than stay silent.
2. Be kind to everyone.
They’re kids, so of course they have moments where they’re not kind to other kids or adults. When those moments happen, we address them right away instead of ignoring them.
We’re not expecting perfection, we’re trying to build a habit. We want kindness to become something they naturally choose.
3. It’s okay to have boundaries.
We never want our kids to feel like they have to do something just to make someone else comfortable. If they don’t want to hug someone or talk to a stranger who says hello, that’s their choice. We want them to know it’s okay to respectfully say no.
4. Learn to solve problems.
I’ve noticed how frustrated kids get when they can’t figure something out. My first instinct used to be doing it for them just to avoid a meltdown😂 But I realized I was taking away opportunities for them to build confidence. We won’t always be there to solve every problem, so we want them to believe they can work through hard things.
5. Be patient.
This lesson wasn’t just for our kids it was for us too. We’re learning to slow down and remember that not everything is an emergency. At the same time, we’re teaching our kids that they don’t need everything the moment they ask for it.
We’re far from perfect, but if we can raise kind, confident, resilient, and patient kids, we’ll feel like we’ve done our job.
