Grandmothers are fundamental characters in the lives of children and mothers. In the culture, grandmothers are the infinite source of love and wisdom. All grandmothers always have something to teach us, from tips for chicken broth to the best way to clean the table. But perhaps most important are the life lessons they leave us, which often determine many of our decisions throughout our lives. Among them is the discipline with which we raise our children.
Raising disciplined people requires dedication, tenacity, and willpower, especially in today’s world, where distractions are just a click away. These are the three discipline lessons we learned from Abuelita:
If you finish doing ‘this’ you can enjoy ‘that’
As children, our grandmothers used this formula as a reward system. “If you eat it all, you can have dessert,” they used to say when we refused to eat our vegetables. “If you finish your homework, you can go play,” they would encourage us to fulfill responsibilities first.
This is a lesson that goes beyond the reward at the end of a chore. It actually teaches us about the value of things and the effort they deserve.
The effort is more important than the result
Another of our grandmothers’ great teachings is to always try our best in everything we do. More than once, we may have heard her say “put your heart into it” when we did something. If in the end it went wrong or we didn’t get the expected result, Abuelita was always there to remind us that the important thing is to have put as much effort as possible to achieve it.
After all, experience teaches us much more.
Nothing should be wasted
Last but not least, the lesson of all grandmothers at the table and in the kitchen: don’t waste anything.
This is probably the phrase we hear the most in our lives, and it’s not just about tangible things. As children, Abuelita taught us not to waste food, think of those who could dream of a plate of patacones like the one in front of us, and be grateful for what we had. But she also taught us not to waste time, not to waste money, much less emotions.
What about you? What did you learn from Abuelita?