Your faults and good points

We all have parts of parenting we're good at and parts that we're not good at. Maybe you're a good provider yet you yell a lot. Maybe you're nice to your children yet not very loving or affectionate.  Maybe you drink a lot yet always plan and look out for your children's wellbeing.  Maybe you like to look out for healthy food options for your children yet you don't discipline.

Mum was good at discipline and helping us learn right from wrong. She was against racism and belittling the disabled. She was not, however, against belting her children and calling them names.

Note the difference: a smack is a small generally softish whack on a child's bottom or hand - not intended to hurt but to SHOCK the child into stopping; generally because of being in immediate danger. A belting is repeated whacks while yelling at your child and taking your anger out on a small person who can't fight back or defend themselves. If you do this... STOP!

Food doesn't just appear

Teach your children where food comes from. Teach them how to shop. Teach them all there is to know about shopping.

Food just doesn't appear in your pantry. There was a process to getting the food there. You wanted or needed an item. You made a list or committed items to memory. You went up the street for food or got someone else to get or deliver items for you. You paid money for the food. Food isn't free and there was a process to making it happen.

Your children aren't born knowing this and don't know it if you don't teach them. They may see you going shopping or you speak of how you went shopping. Maybe you shop without them during the day when they're at school, or leave them home with your partner. For all your children know, you needed food, the pantry or fridge was empty, then there was food. They most likely don't know how much it cost, if you had to skimp and scrape to be able to afford the food.

Did you children go shopping with you? 

Did they help you make a list or help you with crossing off the list while you shopped? 

Do you shop by memory or just add anything to the trolley? 

Did your child(ren) take a note of what was needed to the store for you? 

Did they take some money and pay and come back with change? 

Did they help load and unload the shopping and put the food away?  

If you got a home delivery did your children help you unpack the groceries and tick items off the list?

Are your children aware of how much food cost compared to your income and how to budget to afford items? Do you teach your children to read the back of food items to look for sugar content, additives and colourants?

As an adult you have learn many of these things and just go about your shopping automatically and your children will learn as they grow. It is a good idea to teach them when they're younger so they can help you and you're not doing all the work yourself. This also sets them up well for when they're adults and move out of home. They'll need to know how to shop and how to budget.