Every parent wants to be their child’s hero. It doesn’t matter who you are, you want your son or daughter to look to you as an example of who they should strive to be like when they grow up. Although we all have moments of uncertainty, when we’re not sure whether we’re leading our children in the right direction, trying to be the best person you can be is a great first step. The most important thing you can do for your child is be a loving and reliable presence in their life – no matter what happens. However, if you’re wondering where you might be able to improve your chances of being a good role model, here are some places you can get started.
Prioritize Education
You know that a great education is going to set your child up for a more successful future. However, it’s hard for your child to see that learning is important if you don’t treat it that way yourself. If you know that you could be better at something, or achieve more in your job, don’t be afraid to go and take out a private student loan and go back to college. While it might mean more work for you right now, it also shows your child that it’s never too late to pursue your dreams. If you don’t need a new degree, you could also prioritize education in other areas of life, like taking cooking classes with your kids, or volunteering so you can develop new people skills. Take any opportunity you can find to grow and be better.
Live Healthy
Our children look to us for hints on how they should behave – whether we want them to or not. That means that if you’re not eating any vegetables or spending enough time off the sofa, your children won’t either. Think about how you can improve your approach to healthy living by getting more nourishing foods into your diet. Commit to drinking plenty of water every day and remember to stay active too. A great way for everyone to get healthy together is for the full family to take up a regular exercise hobby. For instance, you might decide that you all want to go hiking on sunny weekends, or that you should start bike riding together.
Learn How to Communicate
Finally, if you want to be a good role model for your child, then you need to ensure that you’re always there to answer their questions – no matter how complicated they might be. Your child is constantly learning new things about the world around them, and they’ll need to come to you for confirmation on what to believe at times. Rather than simply ignoring your child or asking them to go elsewhere for answers, try to be part of the learning experience with them. If your child wants to know about a different culture or language, go online together and learn about it as a team. If your son or daughter has questions that you can’t answer, brainstorm how you can find a solution together. Remember that no question in your household should ever be off limits. Make sure that your child always feels comfortable coming to you for advice.
