From the moment that your child is born he/She becomes your whole life & your whole world revolves around that child! When you have a child you give up your whole life to make sure that they don't go without, you nourish them, teach them everything that you know, you give them advice, guidance, ect.
Most kids, most likely, not take your advice, bc they feel like they don't need it, they may feel like they are grown enough to make their own decisions, or they may be just rebelling!
However, I, myself, have always clung to a much older age group than myself. I had to grow up fast in life. By the age of 10, I was literly raising my mother's kids, with the youngest one being a newborn baby. I have always had friends of all ages. I have always been the one who wanted to learn new things & seek out advice.
There are a lot of advantages to having older friends bc they have already been through your situation & from their experience can give you advice on what to do, what works & what don't work, & most importantly, you can learn a lot from the older generations to make your life easier & better if you just listen & take their advice.
I, in a sense, get to learn from their mistakes.
I remember one older guy telling me the worst mistake that anybody can make in life is to quit school bc you can not even work for McDonald's if you don't have @least a GED.
I was kicked out of my adopted grandpa's house when I was 16 years old bc I went to the hospital bc I had an asthma attack. I tried to get him, my grandpa & my mom to bring me to the hospital but they wouldn't, so I had to get my own ride bc I literly could NOT BREATHE!
So, when I got back home, to my adopted grandpa's house, he kicked me out. I was 16 years old & homeless. All bc I did what I had to do for me.
At this point of my life I had raised my sister since the day she came home from the hospital. J.C., the sister that I raised since birth was now 4 years old.
The day that I left my Reilly's(my adopted grandpa, was the man that adopted my mother, Cindy.) My mom's biological Dad, committed suicide when my mom was 7 years old. He shut the garage door, got in his car, rolled the windows down, crunk the car, & was gone).
The very 1st thing I did was get a job @ Winn - Dixie in Highlandsprings Virginia & I went to Highlandsprings High School.
Going to work & school were my #1 priorities!
The advice from that one stranger stuck with me! I took it 2 heart & I knew that he gave me that advice to make a difference in my life! He knew from his own experience that you have to be educated to make it in life! You have to have a trade, be educated on how to save a life, how to teach your kids, how to be responsible. These are the things in my life that I didn't learn until later in life. These are the things that I will educate my kids on!
My step dad use to tell me all through school that I am never gonna make it, I'm never gonna graduate.
I was 19 years old, a single mother of 2 sons, Austin 2 years old & Micky 2 months old, when I graduated from Pine High School in 2002!
I am very proud of myself bc nobody "Gave" Me anything. I had to work hard for it! I had a job, I took care of my kids, & I am showing them by "Example" what to do to make them successful in their life!
The most important thing to work for in your life is education, learn from others & their mistakes, take advice, watch & learn.
However, my Mother graduated High School, she also went to College as a CNA & later Real Estate.
She didn't work long for CNA & after that, she gave up when the lady she took care of passed away, & she never went back to work. She worked @ Waffle House when I was 16 & she hasn't worked since. She depended on men to take care of us for my whole life. We got abused physical, emotionally, & sexually.
My 1st lesson in life!
Only DEPEND ON YOU! LIFE IS WHAT "YOU" MAKE IT!
Threw living her mistakes, I learned what I did not want out of life & I made the choice to get educated, work hard, learn from others & their mistakes, listen to your elders, take advice!
The people that care about you & love you are ONLY gonna give you the advice, education, & the knowledge, to make your own life easier, better, & let you know what's in your best interest & what's gonna "HELP" you in your life, teach you to be responsible, to make you a better person, make you a better PARENT, & to make the next generation better than the last!
That in itself, educating your kids, living the example, taking advice.....
"LIFE IS WHAT YOU MAKE IT!" "CHANGING THE WORLD" & " MAKING THIS WORLD A BETTER PLACE!"
