by Tiffany Lott

Created on: November 24, 2008   Last Updated: May 02, 2011

How many times have we heard the phrase, "Actions speak louder than words."? What a true statement that is. How we react to situations make more of an impact than what comes out of our mouth. Let's say someone came into your building, yelled, "Fire!", and later announced it was only a joke. Those that ran out of the building could not come back and say they knew it was a prank all along. It would be obvious from their reaction that they believed the threat. This could be a productive tool in parenting.

Can our actions influence our children? Absolutely! So, how can we as parents positively inspire them with our actions?

As a parental figure, we are their primary role models, whether we notice it or not. Our children watch us from the time they are small, seeing how we react to certain situations. Although our kids take on a personality of their own early in their childhood, they use the examples in their life to make their decisions. We should strive to be a positive example.

When toddlers are learning to walk, and then gently fall, the first thing they do is look up to see your reaction. Are you going to coddle after them? Or tell them they're okay, and have them get up and try again? If you'll notice, your action will alter how they react. Most commonly, if you appear shocked or worried, they will cry; if you smile, and urge them to try again, they'll just rub their head, laugh, and get right back up.

However, positive reactions aren't always accompanied with a smile, a pat on the back, or a look in the other direction. We as parents show our love to our children through discipline. We establish rules to keep them from being hurt or injured. A time out is definitely a lesser penalty than what could take place if your child decides to play in the road.

As our children progress to adolescence, parenting becomes a little more difficult. Our actions are more vital now that our teenagers are experiencing changes in their hormone levels. They tend to desire more privacy and independence, but yet this is when we want to hold tighter, remain close, and be certain they are making the right decisions. This could get very tricky.

It's ideal to be active in your teenager's life; however, there are some limitations. Our role as parents is to guide them into adulthood, and unfortunately, the latter steps require us to let them make some decisions of their own. We can only hope they remember what we've taught them in their younger days. They will make mistakes, but how we react to those blunders will affect how they conduct themselves in the future. A teenager that feels close to their parents will be more likely to contact them if they need a ride home from a party rather than attempting to drive drunk. Also, it doesn't make much sense to scold a child for smoking when you have a cigarette hanging out of your mouth.

Finally, our children grow up, and then they are the parent. They will base how they rear their children on what we did. Some things they will change; some things they appreciate and carry on to your grandchildren.

What you do reveals to your children a lot more about yourself and what kind of conduct you expect from them, than a mere statement.

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