by Susan Lower

Created on: January 01, 2009   Last Updated: October 29, 2009

From the day you bring home that small bundle of joy, your every action and intentions are being watched and imitated by your child. As your child grows they re-enact you're every move, this type of imitation is very important in your child's developmental process. Soon, these imitations form and become habits.

According to studies by several universities, experts have concluded there is no real evidence of what causes a habit, but they have surmised most habits are learned. It may start as early as your child smiling back at you, taking their first steps, or wanting to brush your hair. They watch and they learn from their parents.

Parents should feel privileged by these simple acts of imitation. Without knowing it, you are teaching your child valuable life lessons. Someday, you'll teach them to tie their shoes and ride a bike. Before you know they will develop personalities influenced by you, their parent.

Good habits are reinforced by parental values and beliefs. Remember, children repeat what their parents do. They see their parents as a vital tool to their lives and look upon their parents as role models. If mom or dad can do it, then so can they. Have you ever noticed the objects toddlers want to play with most are the household items they see their parents using most frequently?

Although, not all habits learned are good habits. More often than not, a parent doesn't recognize their own faults until they see it in their child. Manners, like every other habit, come from home. When you are polite, you teach your child to be polite. If you are stressed, agitated, and blow your top often, it should come to no surprise that your child is mouthy and grumpy all the time.

Like children, parents can develop new, healthier habits, to demonstrate to their children. Try practicing ways to avoid bad habits and enforcing good habits every day, especially in the presence of your child. In less than a month, you will not only notice the change in your child, but acknowledge it within yourself.

Neal Donald Walsh, states in his book Abundance and Right Livelihood, "But in the end, we will imitate each other. In the end, children will imitate their parents, and parents will imitate their parents. And nation will imitate nation. In the end, we will take our cues from each other, until one of us steps out and says, Not that way. This way.'"

It starts at birth. How your child imitates you today will develop into habits tomorrow.

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