10. Wake up early, even on the weekends

I know, on the weekend they just want to lay in bed and not wake up so early, but if they trade a little leisure to take care of important things now (homework, chores, etc.), they will have the free time to do what they want later.

9. Hard work pays off

If they give anything just a little bit more effort, people will notice. If they don't, people will notice that too, and nobody wants a reputation as a slacker

8. Let them talk to you about ANYTHING

_{Wouldn’t a completely open and honest line of communication have been nice when we were kids?}

7. Everything Happens For A Reason

Anything you do has a result: sometimes good and sometimes bad. Try to encourage the positive and discourage the negative.

6. Everyone wants their children to achieve more than they did

Positive attitude and actions encourage positive outcomes.

5. No matter what, they can count on us.

They have to be able to count on us.

4. What they should do if in legal trouble.

Very important, they need to know what to do if they get arrested.

3. How to calculate a tip.

Waitresses, waiters, and other tipped workers only make minimum wage when they include their tips as part of their wages. That is also how they get feedback on how well they do their job too. If they are lousy, still tip them; that is the only way they know if they are doing a good job. The appropriate amount is between 15% to 20% of the bill. It is fairly simple math: .2 or .15 * total of the bill is usually sufficient.

2. Drugs and alcohol don’t fix much; they are more harmful than helpful.

Drugs and alcohol provide a temporary solution to a permanent problem at best and at worst they just cause more problems.

1. Education Is Important, Even If It Doesn’t Feel Like It

Now we come to the number one most important thing to teach your kid(s). Education may not feel very important to them right now, but someday they will hopefully figure it out. Do your best in school and the possibilities are nearly endless. Don’t and the results are almost certain.

I may not be a single father anymore, but I was for over 10 years. My son and I have an absolutely fantastic relationship. Anytime he has a problem he comes to me with it first and I wouldn’t have it any other way. I only wish I had this kind of relationship with my parents when I was growing up. We have our speed bumps, but they are anything but frequent. He’s 13 now and I have been warned that he would be worse than I was. On the contrary, he is so much more thoughtful and respectful than I was at that age.