Getting older is something everyone experiences. Even though children may think they’re invincible at times, you know as a parent that as you get older, you’re not as invincible as you once thought you were. Often, your kids might have questions about what it means to be older. They might visit their grandparents and wonder why they look and act so differently.
Children born today are expected to live much longer than those born before the 21st century. There are more and more older adults in the population. Kids may not understand that one day, they may reach the age of 70 or older. Aging education is essential for children as it helps them adapt to getting older.
Below are six things to teach your children about aging to prepare them for long and healthy life.
1. It’s a Normal Part of Life
Getting older is something everyone experiences. Teach your children that as each day passes, they’re aging. Time always moves forward. It doesn’t stand still, and it cannot go back. Everyone ages differently, too. Some people may have more health problems than others that may cause them to have more health and energy complications earlier on in their lives.
You can explain it to them through visual examples. Show them a progression of age through a scrapbook of you when you were younger. You can even show them pictures of what they looked like as a baby compared to now. Additionally, represent age by visiting their grandparents.
2. With Age Comes Wisdom
Another thing to teach your child about aging is that they will learn more and become wiser as they grow older. Sometimes, kids think they know everything there is to know about life. As a parent, you know that’s not true and that you learn and experience new things with age.
Take opportunities to teach children about aging when they become frustrated that they don’t know something or how to do something. As they grow older, they’ll be able to do more things because their brains and bodies will grow.
3. What They Do Now Affects Their Future
Your child’s actions now will affect their future. If they’re eating healthy, getting exercise and taking care of their body, then they’ll be more likely to be healthier and have more energy as they age. Show them examples of older adults who took care of their bodies and minds.
While it’s okay to make mistakes as they grow up, they should be mindful of how they treat their health. It’s essential to go to the doctor. It’s important to go to school and learn. It’s important to know how to treat others with respect. These make them less prone to have health, behavioral, developmental and learning problems when they’re older.
4. There’s a Change in Physical and Mental Health
Although your child’s physical, emotional and mental health is affected by their actions now, there are some things you can’t change as you get older. For example, depending on family health history, some people are diagnosed with chronic diseases and health problems.
Energy levels gradually decrease, their memories may fade away and they might not be able to do things they once did as kids or younger adults. Teach your kids that it’s normal for their bodies to change — they’ll realize this once they hit puberty if they haven’t already.
5. There’s More Responsibility the Older You Get
As people age, there’s often more responsibility in life. While your kids are growing up, it’s okay to add on more responsibilities. They can begin to clean their room, make their bed, take out the trash and even help with dinner. Additionally, they’ll probably have more homework at school as they transition from elementary to middle to high school and beyond.
The same is true for the different stages of their lives. Teach them that once they reach adulthood, they’re responsible for themselves, like making doctor appointments, getting a home and having a full-time job. Everyone goes through these life changes. Responsibility comes with aging.
6. Getting Older Doesn’t Mean You Can’t Have Fun
Finally, you can teach your children that just because they’ll get older doesn’t mean they can’t have fun. Age can’t stop you from doing the things you love to do. Even your children now can spend time with their grandparents to learn this about aging. Let them enjoy recreational time together by doing things like swimming, putting together puzzles and laughing.
There are plenty of activities available for older adults. Ageism refers to the preconceived stereotypes about how they feel towards others based on age. Teach your children that age doesn’t matter when it comes to doing something they love. There may be limitations, but there are always ways to adapt.
Age Honestly and Gracefully
Aging is a normal part of life. It happens with plants, animals and humans. Teach your kids the importance of getting older and that they’ll learn a lot more as they grow older themselves.
