{"id":19206,"date":"2019-07-15T15:19:48","date_gmt":"2019-07-15T13:19:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.jozikids.co.za\/zaparents-blog\/?p=19206"},"modified":"2022-06-08T21:37:16","modified_gmt":"2022-06-08T19:37:16","slug":"nelson-mandela-5-lessons-teach-kids","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.jozikids.co.za\/blog\/lifestyle\/childrens-rights\/nelson-mandela-5-lessons-teach-kids\/","title":{"rendered":"Nelson Mandela’s Legacy: 5 Lessons To Teach Our Kids"},"content":{"rendered":"

Those of us who lived and breathed South Africa over the past few decades cling to Nelson Mandela’s legacy. But our kids weren\u2019t there and so they don\u2019t hold the same instinctive understanding of this late great man. So how do we teach our children about who Nelson Mandela was, how he led and what he gave us?<\/span><\/p>\n

In honour of South Africa\u2019s greatest grandfather here are five lessons we can teach our kids, explained in a language your child will understand.<\/span><\/p>\n

1. You can\u2019t always get what you want when you want it<\/span><\/h2>\n

Ask your child to think about their last \u201ctime-out\u201d. Now ask them to imagine that it lasted for 27 birthdays! Patience is a vital lesson our kids need to understand, and no one knew this better than Nelson Mandela. The ability to sit tight with something uncomfortable and wait things out until the world is ready is a virtue to be reinforced and practiced daily with our kids.<\/span><\/p>\n

2. Feelings need to find words<\/span><\/h2>\n

No matter how \u2018Zen\u2019 he appeared to be, there is no doubt in my mind that Nelson Mandela got angry. But the question is \u2013 how did he understand his anger and where did he channel it? When it comes to tantrums and kid-frustrations I am all for allowing our kids to get to know their anger. (In my counselling work\u00a0<\/a>\u00a0I see so many adults plagued by the guilt of un-explored childhood anger). The important lesson to instill in our kids is that all<\/em> feelings are ok \u2013 especially the big ones! What\u2019s not ok is acting out and hurting others. Feelings need to find words – not fists.<\/span><\/p>\n

Chloe Cohen, aged 7 – colouring in of Nelson Mandela<\/p>\n

3. Everyone\u2019s story is important <\/span><\/h2>\n

Everyone has a story and as parents, we can learn from Nelson Mandela too. As with the Truth and Reconciliation Commission<\/a>, everyone\u2019s story has to be told and heard. At the end of each day, it\u2019s a good idea to encourage your child to talk about their day too. Ask them to recount three things that went their way, but also three things that didn\u2019t. This will purge unresolved frustrations and flesh out storylines. Leaving them with the message that their whole story matters: The good, the bad and the ugly.<\/span><\/p>\n

4.\u00a0 Respect other\u2019s opinions<\/span><\/h2>\n

One thing no one can deny is that Nelson Mandela had a good ear for listening. He found a way to hear all sides of the story and found important ways of incorporating them into the country\u2019s bigger picture. In our homes too, communication and integration are vital. Siblings need to negotiate and every opinion needs to have a place at the table. Encouraging siblings to talk things out with each other and offer solutions that will make the other party settle, is a great way to teach democracy at a grassroots level.<\/span><\/p>\n

5.\u00a0 You are the boss of you<\/span><\/h2>\n

They may not get to set their own screen-time limits or stay up past their bedtime\u2026but they do<\/em> get to manage their inside worlds. Nelson Mandela didn\u2019t allow his outside circumstances to define how he inherently felt. By working through daily frustrations and challenges with our kids, we can teach them how to reconcile what\u2019s happening on the outside with how it makes us feel on the inside. This teaches kids to flex those resilience muscles \u2013 a skill that will help them negotiate inconceivable external factors throughout their lives.<\/span><\/p>\n

Mandela\u2019s ultimate legacy is in the home<\/span><\/h2>\n

The real legacy Nelson Mandela left us parents, was the opportunity to experience a strong and resilient parental figure. Someone who felt deeply, acted fairly, heard our stories and made things right. So while school takes care of the history lessons, as parents it is up to us to embody Mandela\u2019s strengths and help our kids experience his lessons each and every day, starting at home.<\/span><\/p>\n

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