Question: I get tired of trying to explain the importance of good relationships to my kids. Any suggestions?

 

Answer: A common sense message that paints a picture and makes us smile is a good teacher. Here are some important life lessons shared in a few well-chosen words:

•Life is simpler when you plow around the stump.

•Words that soak into your ears are whispered … not yelled.

•Meanness doesn’t happen overnight.

•Do not corner something that you know is meaner than you.

•It doesn’t take a very big person to carry a grudge.

•You cannot unsay a cruel word.

•Every path has a few puddles.

•When you wallow with pigs, expect to get dirty.

•The best sermons are lived, not preached.

•Don’t judge people by their relatives.

•Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer.

•Live a good, honorable life. Then, when you get older and think back, you’ll enjoy it a second time.

•Don’t interfere with something that isn’t bothering you.

•Timing has a lot to do with the outcome of a rain dance.

•If you find yourself in a hole, the first thing to do is stop digging.

•The biggest troublemaker you’ll probably ever have to deal with watches you from the mirror every morning.

•Good judgment comes from experience and a lot of that comes from bad judgment.

•Letting the cat out of the bag is a whole lot easier than putting it back in.

•If you get to thinking you’re a person of influence, try ordering somebody else’s dog around.

If you would like to talk with a parenting specialist about the challenges in raising children, call the toll-free Parent WarmLine at 1-888-584-2204/Línea de Apoyo at 877-434-9528. For free emergency child care call Crisis Nursery at 1-877-434-9599. Check out www.familiesandcommunities.org