by R.L Hanlon

Created on: November 23, 2008   Last Updated: February 04, 2009

The best role model for your child is you, their parent. The parenting experience is one that is filled with many ups and downs, hopefully more positive experiences than negative ones. The parenting experience is also a time of learning, a time of making mistakes and learning from these mistakes so that you can learn what works best.

It is also a time when we are judged. Sometimes we make decisions that may not be the best ones, and we find we're judged for these, judged by our peers and by our own family and friends, but more often than not by our children.

As a parent all we can do is provide our children some tools to meet the challenges they will find in life. This is where our actions can positively influence our children. Fingers crossed, eventually they may have learned from some of your actions, the good and the bad to better themselves.

Following is how your actions can influence your children in a positive and constructive way.

WHO IS WATCHING YOU?

You may have one eye on your children at all times, but remember that they have both on you. Everything you do and everything you say they listen and observe. We're not perfect, many of us has heard something we've let slip be parroted back at us sometimes days and weeks later.

All this is designed to do is to reinforce the message that your children learn from everything you do. We learn this sooner rather than later, and is designed to be the core influence of how your actions influence your child.

LEARN FROM YOUR MISTAKES

As mentioned above, parents are not perfect. Parenting is filled with plenty of opportunities for learning, not only for your child but also for you. The mistakes we make allow us to learn, they teach us what not to do and what approach we can take the next time we may be faced with a particular parenting dilemma.

SHOW YOUR CHILDREN ACCEPTABLE BEHAVIOR

Good or acceptable behavior shows itself in a number of ways. It may the way in which you answer the phone, how you talk to them and others around you, how you address people. It can show them how to react to emotions, how to deal with stress, anger and sadness. Your children mimic your behavior and the way in which you treat others.

BE HONEST AND TRUTHFUL

When your children want to learn things or ask questions of you, they can be very gullible and often take everything mom and dad say as lore.

When discussing emotions, feelings and even discussing how things work in the world, the best way is to be truthful.

Make it a habit that when you do not know

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