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Wearing The Cape: 6 Ways To Set A Great Example For Your Kids

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One of the most challenging jobs that you will ever have is the one of being a parent. You can read every single parenting book under the sun, and you will still make mistakes. Children? They don’t understand the parenting books, and if you want to do right by your children, it’s not them that you have to work on – it’s you. You want to set your children the best possible example and that starts by the way you act, the way you work and the way that you treat them. 

Even the most straightforward thing as your reaction to situations around you will impact your children in a lot of ways.

With this in mind, we’ve got some essential ways that you can set an excellent example for your children and be the person that you want them to see as they grow up.

Watch Your Reactions

As a parent, you need to have seemingly unlimited patience in a lot of situations. Big, emotional reactions to everyday situations can ruin your relationship with your child.

For example, reacting angrily to what should be a perfectly normal situation will show your children how not to behave. Ideally, you want to avoid this and teach them how to manage their emotions.

Show Them A Strong Work Ethic

Many parents get a sense of the guilts because they have to work or study. When it comes to your degree or career, you have to be able to continue these proudly. You can learn more, do more and be more when you are achieving alongside parenthood.

Children will see this example that you set – of hard work helping you to go places – and they will want to copy you and be just like you. It’s good for children to help you to achieve, so bear this in mind when you feel bad for having to work or study instead of being with them full time.

A strong work ethic rubs off!

Read As Much As You Can

Speaking of a strong work ethic, reading for pleasure in a place that your children can see will be a great example to set for your children. Academic success begins in the home, and if you want to keep your children enjoying reading, then you can show the importance of it by emulating that behavior.

It’s good to show your children that reading because you want to and not because you have to is a positive thing.

Eat Well

You have to model healthy behavior when it comes to eating.

Children need to see proper nutrition to be able to copy you, and you can get your children involved in cooking and choosing their food from a very early age. In a world where we are always told what beauty is, you can ingrain good habits before social media sets in.

Remain Active

If you are a couch potato, your children will be couch potatoes.

If you are active and involved in team sports, your children will be excited to be involved in team sports. Get the kids outside for a game of basketball and keep them moving. Even when the weather isn’t favorable, you can still go to indoor soft play centers and enjoy a run around with the kids.

Active behavior from you will wear onto them, making your children appreciate movement a lot more.

Give up The Bad Habits

It’s not easy to let go of bad habits that you have held onto, but if you want to set a good example for healthy behavior, let them go, you must. Curb the smoking, don’t drink in their presence and put an end to your own bad habits.

You cannot hide bad habits from children; they know and see everything, even if we don’t realize it. They watch our every move, and without our children to keep us in line, we are easily able to slip down the wrong path.

It is not easy to be a parent, and while you can protect your children as much as possible, it’s not always going to be easy.

It would be best if you were the hero your kids want to see in their life, and that means donning a cape and setting the best possible example. You don’t have to do all of these things at once, but knowing that you are showing your children how to behave? That’s going to stay with them forever. Set the best possible example for your children, and you’ll raise healthy and well-rounded adults who are happy – that’s the goal.

Jeff Campbell