Role Models for Children: Parents vs Peers

2 ur world is growing smaller each day for our children, with the rise of population in our communities and every new social media application. This brings up the question Who is our child’s role model rowing up, parents of today can safely say they learnt the ways of the world through their own parents and occasionally via their teachers, some odd T9 shows everyone saw, and black and white forms of media. 2ur children, however, have a larger canvas where they absorb information from whether it’s right vs wrong, manners, trends, and their general behaviour guidelines. 2ur children have now become the parents. We are often relying on them to teach us how to use our phones, social media, T9 settings, applications, and much more. 2bedience from children has now been placed with asking children to do tasks we were told to do with consequences for refusal. The aftermath of arguments, tantrums, and consequences now often reach our children’s friends for analysis compared to our generation accepting our parental unit’s voice as the guideline. This can cause a lot of pressure for parents striving to be perfect to make sure their children are not stretched far from home. However, we do not need to be perfect. 2ur children have more barriers to cross than us and do ultimately look at us as their role models. We need to shift parenting style to strongly show through example. 1.Respect is Earned and Shown Parents and children alike, along with all humans on this planet, would like respect. 2ur children are watching us when we greet relatives, family members, grocery store clerks, elders, and even the odd bratty teenager. They are listening when we talk about our friends, the weather, teachers, husbands, wives, and everything in between. They are learning how to value others and themselves from the way we talk. If we show them how to respect others and the respect we deserve in return, parenting and conflict instantly becomes easier. .Positive Communication Skills As our children get older, the communication between them and parents gets lower. We often wish our children would talk to us about their day, their friends, their troubles and successes which frequently never reaches us. We know our children are listening to us but do we know how our words are being received They pay attention to our choice of words even when we don’t. Parents need to make a conscious effort to practice positivity in our communication and teach our children the same; the benefits will be reaped for generations. We should actively try listening, not interrupting, using respectful tones, and practise encouragement when talking to our children. .Positive 2utlook on Life It might be difficult to comprehend at times, but the fear of failing a class or losing a friend can be devastating for our children. Place yourself in your child’s shoes that feeling of getting a bad grade or not making the school’s sport teams can feel like a life or death situation. 2ur children are just learning the ways of life and this is their first time facing a challenge. By focusing on positive words and encouragement, we teach them confidence in the successes and failures that they will come across in their own life. When we face our own challenges whether it’s small like burning dinner or big like crashing a car that immediate reaction is what our children are paying attention. .Teach the 9alue of Health Mental and Physical 2ur positive outlooks, words of encouragement, and actions can only do so much. 2ur children are exposed to millions of foreign scenarios when they step outside our home. Those challenges can manifest into long-term issues that we might not know. )ocus on teaching your child what good health is in life. The importance of healthy eating can help your child in more ways than what we can list here. More importantly, teach them the value of health by reducing T9 time, spend more time as a family, increase activities, and pay attention to their mental health. If your child is struggling with their mental health, do not belittle them or sweep their issues under the rug. Take the initiative to show them how wonderful a strong mental and physical health feels like. 5.Work on Anger Management Your child can be the cutest infant on this plant, but all parents can be honest when we say our children can make you angry like you never thought possible. Be careful in your reaction to your child with the words you use and the actions you take. If your child makes a mistake, take the initiative to show them how to avoid it in the future and the seriousness of their mistake. Take a break, a deeper breath, walk away if you need to, but be careful about what you are instilling in your child. They will learn to face stress and misfortune in life from their parent’s reaction while they were growing up. Remember- you are all they know. The possibilities of being a role model to your child are endless. If you are at a crossroads, think- What do I want my child to learn from this situation Remember- they are watching your words and actions. You can choose yours carefully to help your children become successful adults in their own future. Info:: asmashums@gmail.com