Are we role models for our children after all?

“Like father, like daughter (or like son).”

The answer to the old question of why children often look like their parents is that both nature (heredity) and upbringing play a role in how children develop, influenced by parenthood.Role models are created through admiration and identification. Patterns, due to individual abilities, attitudes, skills, achievements, etc., can inspire by their example, and not direct teaching, others to try and develop.

Whether we like it or not, as parents, due to our frequent presence and interaction with our children, we could be a stable and dynamic reference point for development:

• Organic, through diet and exercise,
• Emotional, with the way emotions are managed
• Spiritual, with the way of decision making, choice of solutions, development of argumentation, etc.

 

The real challenge for parents is to set a positive example as often as possible.But being a positive role model for our children requires effort, self-control and long-term consistency between what we say and do.
“Why are you shouting;” I asked my child with the veins in my throat swollen with anger and tension.

• Do we respect others and ourselves?
• Do we accept and reward the capable when we speak of them in front of our children to set an example for them?
• Do we listen to our child without interruption?
• Do we pay attention to how and when we communicate with him?
• Do we give our child the necessary attention and respect his thoughts?
• Do we find anything positive in what negative can happen?

 

Parent while driving with the whole family in the car, saying:
“I got lost again…”
The other parent replied:
“You always do.”

You can understand what followed in the car and what the child’s response was in a similar case.

If the parent replied instead:
“It does not matter, you are so good at so many other things. Besides we were given the opportunity to see places we would not see differently…”

Our children’s negative attitude starts at home.

• Do we have a positive attitude?
• Are we focusing on the bright side of life?

 

The father after an unsuccessful application for a new job says:
“I am finished, I failed, it is not worth trying…”
instead
“It does not matter, this is life. I will try again. Maybe it’s for the best, because now I’ll be able to see other possible opportunities, and maybe even better.”

Teaching by example is probably the best, simplest, and most comprehensive piece of advice for all parents. But it is not always easy. We all have our good and bad moments, and most of the time we later regret what he said or did. The simple truth is that none of us are perfect and we will definitely do something one day that we wish our child had not heard or seen. As long as this is not the rule, but the exception.

PS. : If you are not in the right mood, listen to the following song – AND I THINK TO MYSELF WHAT A WONDERFUL WORLD…(Louis Armstrong) – before returning to the most beautiful thing in your life, YOUR CHILDREN