by Trudy Brown

Created on: February 22, 2010

My son has a new hero: his uncle. Last night we visited my brother at his new job as a fireman. My boys couldn't contain their enthusiasm at the sight of their uncle in his new uniform. In rapture, they inspected the fire truck and toured the firehouse. For two boys who have always been fascinated by lights and sirens, it was nearly an excitement overload.

Children learn by the examples they see around them. For the most part, your toddler looks to you and his other primary care-givers for guidance. However, your child can also be influenced by characters on T.V., other family members, and people they come in contact with regularly. Who are your child's role models and what characteristics is he learning from them?

Role models are important to children because they not only set an example, but inspire our children's imaginations. Successful people have successful role models that teach them positive attitudes and encourage them to have goals and dreams. Role models can effect your child's attitude toward a healthy lifestyle, social skills, and positive values. Even during the toddler years, children are learning these behaviors from the world around them. Children need to be exposed to positive role models as early as possible to ensure the development of good habits and attitudes.

Take a look at the influences that effect your child. Do your child's role models

- exhibit a healthy lifestyle? Do your children see you or other family members making smart food choices and living actively? With obesity in America reaching near epidemic proportions, it is increasingly important that we, as adults, make appropriate changes in their lifestyles. Otherwise, we risk passing on our poor eating habits and sedentary lifestyles to the next generation.

- demonstrate appropriate social skills? Is your child learning positive ways to resolve conflict, interact with his peers, and express himself? We've all been guilty of letting a traffic jam get the best of our tempers. Try to remember that little ears are always listening. The way you handle everyday frustrations and disagreements is likely to become the way your child deals with those situations. Do the adults around your children exhibit behaviors that you would like your children to mimic?

- encourage the morals and values that are important to you and your family? Integrity, determination, a love of learning, persistence, and a number of other attitudes are taught, not by words, but actions. What characteristics does your toddler see modeled every day?

We can't always control the influences that effect our kids. As they get older, that task will become even more difficult. That makes it all the more important for us as parents to start our children off early with positive role models.

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