How our parents shape and influence us

A while back  I wrote about the importances of education. As I was writing this I realised that my thoughts on education have been shaped by my parents. They strongly believed in education and encouraged us as children to study hard and undertake further education. My mothers views were influenced by her parents. 

My love of music and art were influenced by my mother. Our house was always filled with classical music and my brothers and I all had music lessons. My mother encouraged me to draw and paint and was always encouraging in her comments. My mothers love of music and art was influenced by her aunt who lived with her after her mother died. 

My love of reading was influenced by my parents love of reading and they surrounded us with books and reading from an early age. 

My love of gardening was influenced by my father who loves to garden.  I still ask my dad for advice. 

My skills in the kitchen and around the home are a direct result of my mothers teaching  and I still do many things the way she taught me. 

My desire to learn and discover comes from both my parents. 

My creativity and using my hands (i.e. sewing) is a result of my parents and their encouragement in learning new crafts. 

My organisational skills, the need for order and calmness, logical thinking come from both my parents.  I have passed these onto my children (I think it is in our genes). 

Knowing right from wrong, reaching out to people in need, helping, encouraging, being joyful, being positive and sharing are all a direct result of my parents teaching. 

Someone said that I must have a lot of energy to get things done, no not always, but my parents taught me a very strong work ethic and the importances of being disciplined so even if I don't want to do something I can hear my father in the background encouraging me!

To understand me, you need to understand them and the way they were brought me up. And I would except that your views have been shaped by your parents. If you have had a positive rewarding childhood as I have, then the influences from one's parents are strong and enduring.  

Parents play a fundamental role in shaping their children's future. I can see myself in my children and I can see my parents in me.    

But most fundamental in my life was the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ, learning to make Him central to my life and without a doubt this was the direct result of my upbringing.  My parents taught us daily and whilst I rebelled for a number of years, that teaching was strong enough to pull me back. 

Parents play a vital role in the lives of their children and we need to get it right. We may not always agree with everything our parents teach us, but looking back critically, I think my parents did a very good job and I think they got the balance right - the balance of being strict with the need to give us freedom to grow and explore. 

Whilst we tweak what our parents taught us when we teach our own children, without knowing, many of the things that influences us as a result of our parents, creep in, often without us thinking. We all become our mothers in some small way!

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