Parents as Role Models – Shape Your Child’s Life in a Positive Way

Parents want their children to excel in whatever they do. However, we may often wonder what the best way can be to motivate our child. Well, to start with, you could inspire your child by becoming a role model yourself. Children learn most from their parents, and if you act as a role model for your child, it may help in shaping your child’s future in a positive way.

Who Is a Role Model?

Before we discuss the importance and how to be a role model for your child, it is important to understand the true essence of a role model. In simple words, role models are people who we look up to for inspiration, or who we strive to be like. Parents tend to spend the maximum amount of time with their children, and thus they can imprint the young minds by being ideal role models for their kids.

Why is It Important for a Parent to Be a Good Role Model for Their Child?

If you think that nurturing a child is the only responsibility that parents need to fulfil, you might be wrong – bringing up a child brings in a whole lot of duties and responsibilities. Here is why you should be a good role model for your child:

• Your child is spending most of his time with you and thus learns a great deal from you. In other words, your child gets greatly inspired by you.
• Your attitude towards sports, academics and other spheres of life impact your child’s choices too.
• Your choices of friends help in determining what kind of people your child will be friendly with or will hang out with.
• Your lifestyle choices influence your child’s choices too.
• Your relationship with your relatives and your spouse also help in shaping up how your child would perceive his relationships.

A mother as a role model or a father as a role model helps a great deal in shaping a child’s future.

How to Be an Effective Role Model for Your Growing Child

You do not have to be perfect to be a role model for your child. Your child just needs your unconditional love, support and guidance to be successful in his endeavours. Do not make parenting tedious or complicated by keeping unrealistic boundaries and expectations. If you wish to know how you can be an effective role model in your child’s life, follow these simple measures:

1. Be Open About Your Life

It is important for your child to know the real you, which means the child should know the kind of person you are. Every human being falters or makes mistakes. If you have made some mistakes, talk to your child about them and help him learn from your experiences. Holding an unrealistic positive image of yourself will be helpful neither to you, nor your child. Your attitude towards failures or drawbacks helps your child build a strong character.

2. Begin Early

If you are thinking that it may be too early for you to start inculcating good values or leading by example, well, young kids are very impressionable, and they dwell on the feelings of their heart and mind even if they can’t communicate it well. Want your child to learn the virtue of loyalty? Teach him from the start. Take baby steps in that direction instead of taking massive steps later.

3. Be a Good Listener

Children have a whole lot of things to share with you on a daily basis, so lend a good ear. Do not keep teaching all the time; sometimes, it’s beneficial to be a good listener and learn a thing or two about your child’s life. We often find ourselves talking to our children, but sometimes, our children need to be heard too.

4. Be Affectionate

One of the best ways of nurturing a positive and happy child is through unconditional love and care. Love is not only about hugging your child, feeding him food or buying him good clothes. Love is when you exhibit interest in your child’s life or show your child that you care. Sometimes, your sheer presence can do wonders to your child’s self-esteem and confidence.

5. Be Positive

One of the best things you can express towards your child is positivity. Your child observes you; if you stay positive during tough or testing times, your child is going to adopt the same thing. However, positivity here does not mean being unrealistic or making your child delusional, but it means to take every difficulty as a challenge and deal with it.

6. Be Encouraging

Every child is unique and blessed with different qualities. As parents, we need to value our children’s qualities and keep encouraging them for their efforts and endeavours. Do not nag your kids or expect them to achieve something that may be beyond their capability or capacity. Sometimes, having expectations may put unnecessary pressure on your child. Never adopt negative parenting traits; keep encouraging your child to do better.

7. Don’t Go Overboard With Your Attempt

Though your intentions are genuine, sometimes parents can go overboard with their attempts to become good role models for their children. Parents may pamper, praise or shower their kids with so much love that a child may feel uncomfortable. Refrain from acting insincere in front of your child because eventually, your child will judge your genuineness. Keep it simple; keep it real.

8. Watch Your Tone

Do not yell or shout at a child when insisting on a point. Children value your words and your tone too. You can express a great deal from your tone. However, make sure that you do not make it negative or hurtful. Be firm and clear in what you want your child do and then leave the rest to child’s discretion. Keep your instructions or commands simple and direct rather than leaving scope for any ambiguity.

9. Set Goals

Setting of goals, implementing them and achieving the same are some of the important aspects of bringing up children. These three aspects may apply in all spheres. Whether it is about your child’s academics or his behaviour, you may adopt this approach to achieve results in all fields of life. You may encourage your child to come forward with his dreams, aspirations and goals, and work together with your child in achieving them.

10. Be the Best Version of Yourself

Whatever you do or say may impact or influence your child. If not perfect, at least strive to be the best version of yourself because your child is looking up to you for inspiration. Your actions and your words should be well thought of, whenever you are dealing with your children.

If you haven’t thought of becoming a role model for your child, start now. You can always try in making a genuine attempt for raising a responsible and confident child.

Also Read:
How to Improve Your Parenting Skills
Things You Should Never Use to Call Your Kids
Simple Things that Show Your Love for Your Child