Teaching kids to make the right choice

Recently there were some events that weighed heavy on my heart and really made me think about how I raise my children and what I want to teach them in the process.

I feel like one of the biggest life lessons I can teach them to do the right thing even when everyone else is doing wrong.

It's a hard lesson.

They may be only (almost) 3 and 4 but they already are exposed to peer pressure. Now is the time to start teaching them to so right so when they are faced with harder and serious challenges we can trust them to make the right decisions.

My girls are complete opposites. Abiageal is a leader. She doesn't let others boss her around and would much rather control the crowed than be herded along. She is strong willed and when she is right, she is right.

Emma on the other hand, bless her little heart, is gullible. She can be talked into doing most things. She trust on impulse that her loved ones and friends wouldn't steer her wrong, and is perfectly okay with being a sheep.

Abiageal and Emma have faults in their personalities.

I love that Emma is so trusting but I don't want others to take advantage of her generosity, and good heart.

I hope Abiageal uses her power for good.

Of course I can't leave out Tristyn, but she is still too little to be influenced too heavily by older kids. For now.

I hope if they get caught up with kids who bully they will be able to walk away. Or if their friends want to do drugs they can be the ones to say no. If their friends want to fight and hit they will be the ones to let an adult know.

I hope to accomplish this by establishing open communication with the girls.

Usually when they start telling on each other constant I get annoyed and tell them just to be nice. But I have realized I want them to feel like they can come to me with the little things so later they will be comfortable to come to me with the big things.

I don't know if they will or won't succumb to peer pressure, as tots or as teens. I hope to be the biggest influence in their life. Not television, video games, friends, or even teachers. I want my values instilled in them. Not the worlds.

I truly fear waking up one day and realizing my kids aren't the kind of people they should have been because I didn't do what I should have done when they were little.