Wise Choices for You & Your Family
6
HOO’s INSPIRED
If you have already begun considering your goals for the next year,
there is one that should be included near the top of your list – being
a good role model for your kids. One of the most effective ways to
teach your kids the traits you wish them to embrace is to model
them yourself. Here are some traits that will help your child in both
his endeavors throughout childhood and as an adult.
- Living a healthy lifestyle and taking care
of yourself. In the past year, have you made an effort to eat
a healthy diet and get enough sleep? If not, make that a focus in
the coming year. If your child watches you eat too many sweets and
never sees you exercise, getting her to eat healthy and get moving
will be a hard sell.
- A willingness to learn and grow. It is never too late
to learn something new or grow a skill you already have. Let your
kids see you take the time to invest in yourself and build your skill
set, and they will be more likely to want to do the same.
- Navigating difficult situations with grace and
treating others with kindness and respect, no matter what. It can be
easy to lose your cool when you are forced to interact often with the
same rude neighbor or to have to deal with a frustrating situation
that just seems to drag on even though you are doing your best to
resolve it. Stand up to rudeness without showing disrespect and
approach a difficult situation with compassion and empathy for the
others involved. Most of all, model perseverance and do not back
down from your morals. It will be hard to encourage your kids to
persevere if they see you walk away from a challenging situation
instead of taking it on.
- A strong work ethic, balanced with keeping
commitments to family and friends. Get your work
done, without procrastination and to the best of your ability, but
stick to your word when you promise to spend time with your kids.
Your K id’s
Role Model
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