Are You a Hypocritical Parent?

How to Avoid Being a Hypocritical Parent

You are your child’s first teacher.  You teach them to talk and walk, what to eat, how to read and how to bully other children.  Wait, what?  Children will do what they are taught and the most powerful parenting doesn’t come through a parent’s words, it comes through the behaviors of the parent. Children observe how the adults around them behave and they take on and repeat those behaviors, even when they have been instructed NOT to.  Lead by example.  If you don’t want them to hit, don’t hit.  If you don’t want them to curse, don’t curse.   If you don’t want them to quit, don’t quit.  If you want them to be kind to others, be kind to others. Teach them to rise above adversity, animosity and to have a positive outlook when things are bleak.  Don’t be a hypocrite.  So, are you a hypocritical parent?

8 Ways to be a Good Role Model for Kids

Dad and son eating vegetables - being a good role model

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.

Physical and Emotional Health: The Best Gift for Our Children

Getting Emotionally Healthy: The Best Gift for Our Kids

Dealing with Suppressed Emotional Issues Helps Us be Better Parents

by Amy Egan

I love working with parents on their quests to better relationships with their children, more harmony within their families and more joy in parenting.  There are many aspects to reaching these goals such as feeling comfortable saying ‘no’, allowing kids to make mistakes, listening and validating kids’ feelings, realizing you as parent are not responsible for fixing their problems, loving children no matter how happy or sad they make their lives, being truly present with them, etc.  But there is another aspect that I realize I’ve not given ample focus. The aspect of getting healthy, yourself, is vital to a child’s well being. Of course, this means physical health,  but it also very much means emotional health.  A parent who has inner turmoil – issues not dealt with such as, suppressed anger, addiction or emotional scars, will parent their child from a clouded perspective.  A parent who is emotionally unhealthy  is far more likely to under react or over react to children’s issues and behaviors throughout their lives.

Children Can Mirror Our Behavior

Children Can Mirror Our Behavior - Angry Girl pointing finger

Children can express behavior and feelings that reflect back on how we act with them.

 

By Amy Egan

Recently, I have been coaching a mother whose six-year-old daughter has a lot of control in their home.  Due to the nature of their personalities, both parents were allowing this to go on because they saw it as being better than any conflict that ensued when Meg was not given her way. Naturally, life had gotten very uncomfortable for all three of them.  To start with, we worked out a plan to help get Mom and Dad back in charge of the situation. Things like not arguing with Meg, setting a limit once and following through with a consequence, not minding when Meg got really upset with them, all helped tremendously.  And while both parents were thrilled with the improvements and new-found harmony within the family, Mom was still puzzled by Meg’s almost constant attempts to control her mother.

Our work together then went on to the next layer of the onion, and here is what popped up.

3 Ways to Increase Respect: Respect Starts With Words

Definition of respectRespect Starts With Words and Setting Examples

How do you define respect? Respect has been called “the single most powerful ingredient in nourishing relationships and creating a just society” and referred to as “the glue that binds people together and holds together one’s self-confidence.” [1]

As parents, the words we use with our children today affect the adults they become tomorrow. It’s time to consider a new definition of respect when it comes to parenting and building relationships with our children.