7 things every child needs to hear.

[safeinOhio]

1. I love you

2. I'm proud of you

3. I'm sorry

4. I forgive you

5. I'm listening to you

6. The workers revolution is inevitable

7. You can do it

[dustyscamp]

1. Should add "Don't give up without a fight!"

[TEB]

2. May I add

Never vote republican

[Lochloosa]

3. Be kind

[underpants]

4. #6 LOL

Here are THE FIVE (with fingers) I've instilled in my girl

1(index finger) Brain on - awareness
2 Butt in gear
3 Be cool - safety
4 Be yourself
5 (with wagging thumb) Follow the money - people's motivates

[handmade34]

5. yes to ALL of those

as well as my favorite... maybe after "you can do it"... "it's builds character"

my daughter always used to say, "I already have enough character"

[Soxfan58]

6. Never vote republican!

[Shanti Mama]

7. I might add "No."

It amazes me how many younger parents will not say no to their children, intentionally. And they prohibit others from doing so. I'm all for offering choices using positive guidance, but everyone needs to learn to accept No, point blank. I imagine this is a word that 45 did not hear and learn to accept.

[Leith]

8. The 6th one is great

I had to figure it out on my own, but "when" was never clear.

[Staph]

9. Ever since I read The Help (and saw the movie),

my advice to my nieces has been, "You is kind, you is smart, you is important!"




(Yes, I know. There are all kinds of problems with the book, not the least of which is the White Man's Burden trope. But I love that bit of advice for young girls. It's not "you are pretty, you are popular, you are cute". It's the much more important stuff!)

[MosheFeingold]

10. Also

"no"

Kids do need limits. Different limits at different times.

No, you can't hit your sister.

No, you can't bite the dog.

No, you can't drink the oil out of the car.

No, you can't have a phone at age 12.

No, you can't watch your phone when you can look at the window and see the world.

No, you can't go to that wild party where there are date-rapey assholes.

No, we won't go in debt for that non-employable graduate degree.

No, I won't blow the budget for your wedding. You have sisters who will get married, too.

No, we won't help out for the house when you can sell the too-expensive car.

[rurallib]

11. Wasn't it Melissa Harris Perry who used to tell the story that her Dad

would never say "Hello" he would say something like "the revolution continues" when she was a kid.