Ever heard of the sayings “Father like son”, “She lives up to the family name”, “The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree”, all these sayings infer that children will turn out like their parents. This theory has been somewhat proven by researchers. The most important people in a child’s world are his or her parents, the behaviour of a child’s parents leaves a permanent impression in the child’s subconscious mind.

Children have an innate and instinctive trust in their parents from birth. Parents who smoke are more likely to find their children doing the same one day. Parents who drink excessively are more likely to find their children doing the same when they grow. Households in which parents swear at each other, or at the TV, or even at other road users while driving are likely to find their children developing the same habits as they grow up.

Think about how you want your child to grow up, what values do you want to instil in them? Role modelling can be an extremely effective parenting tool if it is used correctly. Being a positive role model requires a lot of forethought, self-control and self-reflection. Many parents ask about behaviour management strategies and how to cope with children defying them, it seems we have a very strong parenting strategy right here. If role modelling is done correctly, you will find that you have less difficult behaviour to manage on a day to day level.

Children want to be like their parents, develop the same skills and knowledge and feel like they are actively contributing to their world. The intellect of a child is under-developed and as a result children absorb what they hear and see around them.

Remember you are your child’s biggest role model in life, you have the ability to shape their future.

Written By Ben Saussey, Zone 2 Area Coordinator