Being a Good Parent is Being a Good Role Model

Guest post by Kids ‘R’ Kids DFW

Being a good role model to your children will go a long way in their development. Here are some practical tips to help love and influence your child.

• Be Predictable: Children want to know the rules and in a world full of contradictions and change, a parent should be predictable.

• Forgive a lot: If a child makes a mistake, they need to know what was expected. Parents’ position should be clear and a few simple rules, firmly enforced, are more effective than many rules loosely enforced.

• Be firm yet respectful: No one likes to be ridiculed or embarrassed. It is just as easy to take a child aside and point out an error as it is to make fun of them for a mistake in front of their friends.

• Congratulate with praise: Recognize the opinions of children and recognize their intelligence. Give them praise for their efforts and tell them you love them a lot.

• Be a team (family) player: When making plans involving them, ask for their views and give consideration to their preferences, when possible. Treat children as though they are important because they really are.

• Avoid hypocrisy, and do what you say: With children, one living example is worth 10,000 empty words because children mirror their parents.

• Be loyal in good and bad times: They need to know they can count on their parents to be on their side and to show love and concern when things don’t go right. Parents are the roots of a child’s changing world.

• Apologize quickly and fully: When you are wrong, say so. Just because children are smaller doesn’t mean they can be easily fooled. You earn their respect when you say, “I goofed. You’re right and I am sorry.”

Kids ‘R’ Kids believes that happy, loved, connected children are destined for success in every facet of their lives. Our most cherished principle, “Hug First, Then Teach,” defines every aspect of who we are at Kids ‘R’ Kids. When it comes to teaching, Kids ‘R’ Kids understands the importance of involving families with their child’s developmental milestones and accomplishments. We hope you will drop by for a tour at one of our 12 locations in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. You will find a list of our locations on www.dfwkidsrkids.com.