Little eyes are always watching what we do. We may not be aware of it, but our children are very conscious of the way we treat ourselves and others. How we communicate, the way we act, and by what means we handle life’s great stressors are being evaluated.
Without knowing it, we are our children’s primary role model, and they often copy what we do. Even if we think they are not observing us, while no one expects us to be perfect, it’s a good idea to try our best so we can be a good role model.
How can we model good behaviour for our children?
Be Mindful
Becoming mindful of the way we interact with the world around us is a good idea. Even if it’s not obvious those little eyes are watching. Our tone of voice; the words we use; our behaviours; self-care habits; our work ethic and our goals; our life skills - they are all being absorbed by our children. By being mindful and modelling good behaviours, they will pick up on these skills and incorporate them into their own lives naturally.
Encourage Empathy
Empathy is the ability to understand and share other people’s feelings. Maintaining empathy as our children get older is a positive life skill. By showing empathy towards our friends, family, and colleagues, we can foster empathy in our children. We can do this by openly being a good listener, being considerate and, being concerned about others when difficult issues arise.
Be Kind
With more and more children having personal access to social media and the change in our face-to-face communication habits, it’s essential we teach our children the value of good manners and being kind to others, online and offline. By modelling kind behaviour and teaching them the importance of kindness, we can raise a generation who understands and values compassion. As with empathy, help children understand the emotions of others and teach them how our behaviour affects others.
Promote Positive Thinking
The way we think, how we internally talk to ourselves, and how we view ourselves, is not always straight forward. Our mental health can take a dip, our weight can fluctuate, and our self-care can falter. We are human after all. Promoting positive thinking is important and something we should be conscious of as our children get older. Positive body image, healthy thinking, and self-compassion are positive elements we would like to instil in our children. We can implement positive thinking by being conscious of how we talk to ourselves, showing self-love, understanding and appreciation.
