You are your child First and BEST Roll Model
Children learn from their parents how to make good life choices. Children may not always have the capacity for self-reflection and the ability to think about long-term consequences, which often makes it difficult for them to make wise decisions on their own. Parents should be available during this process and provide them with a platform where they can ask questions and get answers when they need them most. Read on for some tips and suggestions from NieCat Life Coaching.
Diet and Exercise
Nemours KidsHealth notes that the dinner table is where children learn the dietary habits that can last a lifetime. Making healthy food choices for yourself and for them while they are young instills not only a sense of what a proper diet is, but they’ll learn to enjoy those foods if they’re introduced to them at an early age. Make certain both you and they have access to fruits and vegetables for snacking and avoid keeping sodas and chips in the house. You can reserve those for special occasions like parties but keep the healthy stuff on the table then too, to provide a good balance.
Exercising with your children can be fun for you both. Family bicycling is something everyone can look forward to. Wearing helmets is a must for everyone as well as reflective clothing if you’ll be cycling past sundown. Walking and hiking are other fun activities everyone can do together, especially if it’s punctuated with a picnic.
At Home
Keeping your home clean and clutter-free works for you and them. The Pragmatic Parent points out that teaching your children to put things away when they’re done with them means your home, including their rooms, can stay neat and tidy. A home filled with clutter causes stress and bad energy in the home, which means a lot of whining and complaining. Giving kids chores teaches them responsibility and accountability and if they get paid for some of those duties, it’s an opportunity for them to learn about savings, spending wisely, and delayed gratification.
Scheduling homework time, playtime, and chores is a chance for them to learn time management, too. Kids can get stressed and overwhelmed if they’re not guided throughout their day since it takes time and maturity to learn how to best manage their activities. A printed schedule that is color coded in a place they visit often, like the refrigerator, can be helpful as well as a clock or an alarm clock that they can read.
Education, Including Getting an Online Degree
It’s never too early to talk with your children about what they want to achieve in the future. Having a goal, even if it’s one they’ll change often, instills in them the idea of putting the work in now~education~means having the dream job they long for later on.
Family trips to the library help them learn to appreciate books and all the other services a library offers. Encourage them to check out books about famous people who have done or are doing the job they hope to one day make their career.
If you’ve been putting off getting a degree, pursuing an online degree gives you the flexibility to pursue your dream while fulfilling other responsibilities. For example, a BSED opens the door for opportunities to work with preschoolers and elementary-aged children. With the ability to learn at your own pace, online coursework allows you to work toward your goals while still taking care of your work and life responsibilities. Best of all, by seeking higher education, your children will benefit from the example you set.
We hope you’ll adopt a few if not all of the above tips to be the best role model for your kids including living a healthy lifestyle, having a productive and stress-free home, and furthering your education, whether that’s through traditional channels or the online route. Children need guidance, but they also need to be left with a lot of freedom to find out what works best for them. This can only happen when we let them make their own choices while guiding them at the same time. If you need additional guidance and one-on-one support, reach out to parent coach Coach Arthur of NieCat Life Coaching today!
Written by:
Amanda Henderson ⎸amanda@safechildren.info
NieCat - Life Coaching 