Tag Archives: imitation

When One Child Constantly “Copies” Another

Any of us who had siblings of our own remembers being “copied”—or maybe you were that younger sibling who followed an older one around imitating what they did and what they said? As parents, if we have two or more children (or this can also happen with kids and friends), we will inevitably be called upon to “Make him stop copying me!” If you can ignore the copycat battles and chalk it up to typical childhood behavior, you are a far more Zen parent than many! Imitation is a fact of life—whether it is in our families, the work place, … Continue reading →

When Children Start Imitating Their Peers

It can be incredibly cute when babies and toddlers start to mimic those around them. After all, that is how children learn to talk and behave–by imitating those around them. When our children get to preschool or start being more social and making friends, however, they can start to pick up habits and traits from their peers that we are not so crazy about. What can be done when a child starts to imitate unsavory behaviors, speech patterns, and traits that are coming from the peer group? The first thing to realize is that this imitation is incredibly normal! I … Continue reading →

What to do About Copy Cats?

They say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, but when it comes to your home business, you might not take so kindly (or be so flattered) by someone who is copying your operation. Whether it is your products or your services, or your logo, web site, etc. having someone else come along and try to copy or imitate what you are doing can be an aggravation and a challenge. It is important to differentiate between copying and theft. If someone actually “lifts” content, photos, etc. from your web site–that is really theft and not being a copy cat. … Continue reading →

Imitation–Friend or Foe?

Surely we don’t want to reinvent the wheel in our home businesses and mentors and advice are the mainstay of any beginning entrepreneur trying to make a go at a home business. But, can imitation help or hurt us? Is there a happy medium between borrowing from others who have gone before and coming up with our own original business path? I have written before about how much we can gain as new business owners and operators by finding people who we admire and businesses that are successful and learning from those who have gone before. If we try to … Continue reading →

The Parents’ Example

The other day, my ten-year-old daughter was waxing philosophical. “The apple never falls far from the tree,” she said, a look of wisdom on her face. “I’m a lot like you, and Benjamin is a lot like Dad. So, the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.” She mused for a moment. “Unless there’s a tornado while the apple is falling.” I started to laugh, of course – how could I not? But she makes a good point. What children see the parent do, they will do. How many times have you sworn or gossiped within your child’s earshot to … Continue reading →