Many parents will admit that they want their child or children to “do better” than they have—whether it is get farther in school, or go through less struggles and trials, or, for many of us it is just a matter of hoping that our children do not pick up our bad habits or make some of the big mistakes that we have. Unfortunately, many of us “hope” that they won’t pick up bad habits or make unsavory choices—meanwhile, we are modeling the very behaviors we DON’T want our children to pick up…
Not a one of us is perfect, but I do think we have to ask ourselves if we are prepared for our children to exhibit the same behaviors and choices that we do. Would you be happy if your child adopted your habit of having two or three beers every night after work? Would you like it if your child swore or cursed as much as you do? How about manners and social skills—will you be satisfied if your child turns out exactly like you in these departments?
This may sound like a harsh way of looking at things, but we do have to remember that we are a role model ALL THE TIME for our children. Sure, there are going to be things that we just cannot quite give up and we may have to accept that our child may have the same habit or trait, but if there are characteristics, habits, and life choices that we really don’t want our children to replicate, then we need to make sure they don’t get the idea that those behaviors are okay because mom or dad does them. We will not be able to guarantee that our child won’t take on bad habits or questionable behavior choices just because we don’t have them, but we can at least do our part to set a decent example.
Also: We Are Our Kid’s Role Models