Things We Learned Early in Life

Most of us have read the short credo, 'All I Really Know I Learned in Kindergarten' by Robert Fulghum. Today, I would like to blog about some of the things we should not only have learned, but also pass on to our children.

We come into this world completely unbiased, we know nothing about race, gender identity, political affairs, what any flag stands for. We're not born with bigotry, or hate towards another race, those are things we learn from others, along with our personal experiences in life.

I was raised to have respect for all races, religious beliefs, and I have learned that people of the same sex can love each other too and that there are bad people in this world.

The world has changed a lot since I was a kid, but some things stay true. Fulghum's kindergarten creed points out that we should share, play fair, don't hit people, say you're sorry when you hurt someone and clean up your own mess.

I don't believe we will ever completely rid the world of injustices, but we can't stop trying either. Parents, grandparents and mentors all have a responsibility to teach our children not to judge others.

Here is an outline of Robert Fulghum's 'All I Really Know I Learned in Kindergarten'.This always takes me back to Miss Burrow's kindergarten class.

These are the things I learned (in kindergarten):
1. Share everything.
2. Play fair.
3. Don't hit people.
4. Put things back where you found them.
5. CLEAN UP YOUR OWN MESS.
6. Don't take things that aren't yours.
7. Say you're SORRY when you HURT somebody.
8. Wash your hands before you eat.
9. Flush.
10. Warm cookies and cold milk are good for you.
11. Live a balanced life - learn some and drink some and draw some and paint some and sing and dance and play and work every day some.
12. Take a nap every afternoon.
13. When you go out into the world, watch out for traffic, hold hands, and stick together.
14. Be aware of wonder. Remember the little seed in the Styrofoam cup: The roots go down and the plant goes up and nobody really knows how or why, but we are all like that.
15. Goldfish and hamster and white mice and even the little seed in the Styrofoam cup - they all die. So do we.
16. And then remember the Dick-and-Jane books and the first word you learned - the biggest word of all - 'LOOK'!