Hello Monaco #09 Spring–Summer 2020 | Page 150

POOR RICH KIDS
It is not just money, property
and other material values
that children inherit. They
also take in our system of
values guiding their decisions.
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whether he knows them or not, basic rules of
politeness apply. Say «thank you», «please»,
«sorry», «may I», «hello», «goodbye». Don’t
take other people’s things without asking,
don’t be rude; say thank you for a gift.
Help your child work on his self-control. It is
our responsibility to channel our child’s needs,
avoid satisfying his every whim — not only in
terms of goods, but also entertainment. If he
is pestering you for something, say no, firmly.
He will respect you even more knowing that
«no» actually means «no», no matter what
your mood is today or the weather outside.
I do tell parents every time that, most importantly,
we need to learn self-control. We need
to observe how we set out the boundaries in
everyday life, in our relationships with children
and other people. It is the family that
conveys the very first concept of what the
world is all about. Setting out and following
the rules, we determine the child’s way of living.
He will naturally adhere to them. And the
likelihood of him growing independent and
resistant to obstacles, increases significantly.
NURTURE RESPONSIBILITY. «Responsibility»
stands for several concepts: duty,
reliability, carrying out the mission you’ve
started on. A truly responsible person masters
his feelings, desires, decisions and actions.
This is an adult answering for himself,
for his family, understanding that no one
owes him anything. It is a social responsibility
that wealthy and power-endowed
individuals possess.
In pre-revolutionary Russia, wealthy families
were teaching their children the responsibility
for people in need from early
on. If you think about Nicolas II’s daughters,
at the outbreak of WWI, the Grand
Duchesses, alongside Empress Alexandra
Feodorovna, were working in hospitals
as sisters of mercy. They looked after the
wounded and assisted with operations.
There used to be a culture of charity.
Wealthy people would bring their children
to visit poor homes and provide some serious
help. They organized meals and distributed
clothes at their own expense. Charity
was considered an honourable affair, people
would queue to donate.
In today’s Europe, royals are raised to serve
in the army, assist disabled children, work
in medical institutions and hospices. The
young ones are made to understand: the
more privileges you have, the more responsibility
you carry. That’s how they know exactly
where they stand.
Another remarkable example from recent history,
is how Princess Sofia, the ruling Queen
of Spain was raised. The girl used to live in
a boarding house with Spartan conditions:
cold water, meagre food, severe punishment
for misconduct. Four years later, her parents
took her travelling to poor countries. She witnessed
the life of the local children and was
providing them help. Later on, Sofia got qualified
as a nurse and was looking after the sick.
Her parents thus did their best to raise her
responsibly and consciously using the truly
amazing opportunities of a royal title.
As to Prince William, he also attended a
boarding school, sharing a bedroom with
four other boys. Upon his graduation from
Eton College, he travelled the world and took
part in charity events in Chile and Africa. In
2015, William became an ambulance helicopter
pilot. He is devoting much of his time to
charity, chairing a number of foundations.
To break the circle of feeling being one of
the chosen and a sense of elitism, we need
to develop a sense of responsibility and
148 / Hello Monaco Spring–Summer 2020
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