5 Life skills; fortitude

Dictionary definition

‘Courage in pain or adversity’ oxfordditionaries.com

Adult perspective

One of the most difficult elements of writing this 5 part series was putting these life skills in some order of importance. I tried, but eventually gave up. The irony of me admitting this on a blog entry entitled fortitude is not lost on me, but the reality is that any combination of these attributes are what is needed to succeed in life.

Life is tough. It’s also the most amazing gift but that perspective won’t chime with this entry! Determination will get you over a great deal of life’s obstacles and to the prize on the other side.

Parent perspective

As a parent, I want the cubs to realise that failure is a part of success. The approach here slightly mirrors that of my approach in the courage
blog entry, but that is intentional. Concentric lessons are reinforced positively, and this is where learning happens.

I want my cubs to:

• Embrace the fall and learn the lesson
• Take risks
• Avoid the herd
• Be the lone voice
• Set goals.

When my eldest was in transition between crawling and walking, I observed her with fascination. I watched her figure out her terrain, mapping textures and adjusting her cadence. Most memorably, I watched her master a chair, in order to sit at the dining table. She scrambled, grunted, yelped a couple of times, looked to me once or twice, but continued with focus, once she realised that I wasn’t going to do it for her. Eventually, she manoeuvered the chair correctly, made herself enough space and sat at the table. The place that she had earned.

In giving the cubs the courage to speak up, I hope to empower them to be the lone voice. Not everything they will be told will be correct and not every action they observe will be moral.

Parentally, I encourage them to explain to me why they’re upset when they burst into tears, or what led them to lash out in the on-going sibling battle for primacy. In doing this, I hope to enable them to vocalise when they feel wronged as adults, although it’s also important that they can differentiate between that and keeping their own counsel.

The importance of this is that they shouldn’t feel the need to run with the herd, ridiculous pack animals that we are.

Finally, goal setting. At their age, most goals are predetermined. I do add some in, and encourage them to set their own. Goals are challenges that lead to growth. Growth leads to reward.

Child’s perspective

In my humble opinion, the best way for cubs to learn most of these is to play! Play often; in different environments, with different people and different games.

Like most sentient beings with nurtured offspring, life’s lessons can be learnt through the dress rehearsal that is play. That is, if we as parents let them get on with it!

I will discuss events with them when play goes wrong, in order to help process things as play invariably goes wrong, but that’s the plan.

Conclusion

One thing that I’ve noticed writing this 3rd installment, is just how much overlap there is in these life skills. I guess it’s because they’re based on my own value system

I guess the challenge for me would be to teach the cubs to master skills that I don’t posses or that are lacking in my personality.

BSD