We have all heard that it is never too late to learn new things, but as a parent, you might be wondering if it is ever too late to TEACH our children things. I think that many of us feel as though there is a limited window for certain things and if we do not get in there and teach those lessons; our children will never learn them. For example, if we do not start piano lessons at the age of four, does that mean the child will never learn piano? It might be reassuring to realize that we probably have more chances to teach those lessons to our children than we may think.
I suppose that since eventually all children grow up, there is an end to when we parents are responsible for teaching lessons. We can hope that our children will have long, rich, eventful lives and lessons and experiences will come from a variety of influences. There does come a day when we have to back off and stop trying to “parent” our grown children, but while they are young and under our care, we can keep trying to teach the lessons that we think are important.
As a matter of fact, some of the most important lessons can take a while to teach and to learn. Learning about compassion and generosity and charity, for example are often lessons that are ongoing throughout childhood (many of us work on these things throughout our lives.) So, while the day may come when we are no longer giving constant direction and instruction to our children, I believe that as long as they are our minor children, it is not too late for us to keep trying to teach them the things we hope they will learn. We may not succeed with every lesson we hope to impart, but it does not hurt to keep trying!