This is a topic I am a little passionate about. More in the soapbox kind of way rather than it being something I have experience with. What are your thoughts about passing on skills and knowledge you have obtained to your children and grandchildren? Is this something you feel should be done by parents, or is it upon the children to learn their own way?
I guess it all depends on your background and the family you come from on if skills and knowledge are passed down to the new generations. I know that in the past, families were dependent of their children learning the skills to keep the family farm or business running for themselves and the future generations. But what about those that are are not in the same situation? Wha about the average Joe who lives in the city and just has a job to pay the bills and get by in life? Do they have any skills and knowledge to pass on?
The reason I am passionate about this, is because I was not really privy to all the knowledge and skills my parents and grandparents had, and I am not sure why. To be honest with you, I really don’t know as much about my parents as I would like, let alone my grandparents. With that being said, I feel like I was not given the best opportunity to grow as I would if I was given the opportunity to learn some of the skills and knowledge my family members had.
My mom taught me homemaking skills that have come in handy for domestic life, that I am grateful for. My dad and grandfathers taught me a couple of things when it came to fishing and playing sports when I was really young, but other than that I was left to fend for my own. I didn’t learn about car mechanics, guns, girls, money, careers or anything that I felt should have been shared with me. In doing so I think I would have had a better understanding of all those things before I became an adult. The sad thing is, they had knowledge with all of those topics and more that would have benefited me. Now I’m in my forties, with no dad, no grandfathers, and still trying to figure out some of the important things in life.
I know I need to pass on the knowledge I have to my daughter, but the question is, do I have enough knowledge and experience to share with her that’s viable to her and her future? What skills is she going to want to have from me? What knowledge can I bestow upon her that will make a difference in her life? Yes, I am her parent but does that even qualify me? I hope I have enough to share with her as she continues to adulthood.
I can tell you this, if you did not get the guidance and direction from a parent about money and finances, I hope you are learning on your own, because there is a lot more to it than just making it and spending it. Another thing you should be educating yourself on is retirement and how to prepare yourself financially for that. The world can be a hard place for those who don’t have the skills or knowledge needed to succeed. Parents can be a great asset if they are willing to share what they know with their loved ones.
I hope that one day if not today you take the time to share your skills and knowledge with your children to help them better their life, and the life of their children.
