Thank You Mom And Dad, Now I Get It

At the time, when I was just a child, it just sounded annoying, to hear the same things all over again.

I always asked myself why are they constantly repeating the same stuff? Why do I have to make my bed if I’ll lay on it later? Why do I have to tidy the room if the maid is coming next? Why study Monday to Friday, if there is so much time left for the evaluation period?

The other day, I realized something about making the bed and I started to connect the dots with the other advices my parents were regularly repeating, that, at the time, only sound like orders, and I started to understand everything.

Thank You Mom And Dad, Now I Get It

Finally, understood that it wasn’t specifically about making the bed or stopping asking for things. It wasn’t about reading and studying to leave them alone. They weren’t trying to let me turn off, it was about something else.

It was about achieving small habits that would help me through the day, that would help me through life, that would make me more consistent as a person.

I gathered some habits or advices they gave me that turned out to be crucial for me.

1. Make Your Bed

When I had like 8 years old I was always trying to escape to making my bed. My thinking was “in a few hours I am going to undo it to lay and have a nice night's sleep, no sense in making it now”.

However, making your bed is much more than that, it’s your first task of the day, once you get it done you get the sense you had a good start for your day and feel like you were already a little bit productive, ready to start the day.

Plus, it automatically makes the room look much tidier.

So do your bed, just do it, first thing in the morning. It takes like what, 2 minutes max?

2. Study From Monday To Friday

This one always got on my nerves. If I wasn’t near my evaluation period, I wanted to play with my toys, video games, to annoy my big sister, or to be my parents' shadow, following them around the house.

Once I started to be more independent and schedule my own time for studying, I realized why having the habit of studying every day would help me.

If I study every day from the beginning of the period, Monday to Friday, when I really need to study, I’ll be used to it, programmed to it. And just have to add some extra hours on the weekend.

Furthermore, in the case something unforeseen arises, I have a lot done and it doesn’t become so stressful.

3. Don’t Ask For It, Earn It

Always remember the one time my father took me to buy a Barbie because I was being very well behaved, there was no reason other than that, it wasn’t Christmas, it wasn’t Childs Day or even my birthday.

After putting the Barbie box in my hands, my father said to me

You don’t have to ask for things, just earn them. People will have pleasure in rewarding you.

That Barbie is still with me, in order to remind me of this lesson, which is one of the most valuable ones I keep in my mind.

I should have been about 9 years at the time, I don’t remember ever being the type of person that asks for anything and, maybe, because of that little episode.

Now every time I want something I look and search for means and ways to achieve it, without ever begging.

4. Tidy The Room Before The Maid Arrives

When my parents were together, we had a really nice maid coming once a week to clean the house.

For me it was nonsense, at the time, to get my room all tidy before the maid arrived. Now what doesn’t make sense for me is that I ever thought like that…

I believe at the time what they tried to convey to me was that I should keep my routine and that the maid was not a servant.

Nowadays, I have an interpretation beyond that, for me it was also relevant to gain the pattern to get ready for others, to clean up for others. I value the fact of preparing for others because this gives them importance, shows we care. I also enjoy it when people make the effort to “get ready” for me.

Final Thoughts

This is just a taste, obviously, of everything they taught me that, at the time, just seemed boring.

I challenge you to take a trip into the past and remember things that your parents have repeatedly said at the time that you consider to be truly valuable today.