She’s my little observer…
Most kids are. They are like little sponges soaking up whatever they see.
Lately, I’ve been reflecting on what I give them to soak up. What am I modeling for them? How are we, as parents, setting the tone for their little day? How am I teaching them to communicate with others? What do I want them to do more of? Say please? Thank you?
These past few weeks, we’ve been drilling into their little minds to lose the phrase “I want”. Instead, we are working on, “may I please have?” “Can I have?” “I would like”… basically anything other than that whiny, entitled “I WANT!”
After a few days, my drilling stopped me in my tracks when I thought, “How often do I say ‘I want’?” Maybe I need to start paying more attention to what I do. After all, modeling is one of the most powerful ways to teach. Staying conscientious is a difficult task. Especially in the hustle and bustle of the day but remember, they are watching… what do you want them to soak up?
Spiritual application:
“Fathers and mothers, you are teachers; your children are the pupils. Your tones of voice, your deportment, your spirit, are copied by your little ones. Children imitate their parents; hence great care should be taken to give them correct models. Parents who are kind and polite at home, while at the same time they are firm and decided, will see the same traits manifested in their children. If they are upright, honest, and honorable, their children will be quite likely to resemble them in these particulars. If they reverence and worship God, their children, trained in the same way, will not forget to serve Him also.”
~ Child Guidance p. 215
~Nurturing little characters
Whatever They See
