What Are you Modeling?
What kind of role model are you being for your child? How you show up in your life is a reflection in your children. I look at my children the older ones and the young ones I recognize so many different behaviors. Some I love and others that I’m curious where they learned them. As a single mom for many years, I made mistakes with my older boys. With my younger twins I decided to use what I learned to influence my children. What I did 1st, I surrounded myself with like minded people. I learned how to see life as what is right versus what is wrong. I started using strategies that worked to help my life not hinder it. Most importantly I used these strategies to be a role model for my children.
My friends were doing the same thing. They would role model and show their children how to have an extraordinary life. This goes along with how to build your child’s self esteem? Do you know if they love themselves? What age would you start? The picture below shows my friend’s daughter making a list on her mirror of things she loves about herself. She will then be able to look in the mirror each day and say them to herself and remind her that she is all of these. Her mom teaches this strategy in a book “Life’s Tune-Ups”
Ask better questions to get to know how your child feels about themselves and life. I personally ask my 4 year old twins, “what kind of day are you going to have?” When I pick them up from preschool, I ask “what kind of day did you have?” What specifically was “good, outstanding, beautiful” whatever way they describe it. This will help them continue to see things in a better way. I ask them who are you? Of course they respond with their name. I then would say, and who is that? My daughter twin, would respond by tossing her hair back “Im a beautiful princess.” I would then say, “yes you are and I’m a beautiful queen” as I toss my hair back. Model what you want to see. Teach them self worth, self esteem and self love by modeling it.
If you model anger, disrespect, aggression, etc… you will see it in them. If you model love, kindness, respect, honesty, self worth, self love, etc… you will see it in them. Our children are a product of their environment.