Guiding Your Child

When we are raising our children we are guiding them through life, giving them advice and teaching them what they need to know. Children follow by example; they watch and listen to everything we do. What habits we have in ourselves can follow them in their lives. How we look at the world can also become their perception of it. That is why how we live our lives affects our child’s life in a way that becomes their own. Of course, each child is an individual, but sometimes in their behavior you can see a mirror of yourself. It is helpful to look at our children this way. Their reactions and emotions can be a learned trait. The child will experience and absorb the life around them. By watching and observing, a child will learn how to respond and how to deal with what happens around them. Do they get frustrated easily? Do you? Do they respond to stress by breaking down? Do you also do this? Perhaps there is another person in the household whose behavior has connected strongly with the child. We guide our children by behavior as much as with how we relate to them. When and if you see a correlation between you and your child, it will help to honestly look at yourself and to see if there is a true resemblance. How do you feel, what makes you feel better, what do you do when certain emotions arise? Can your responses to dealing with yourself help your child? You already know so much, have lived a longer life, and have developed tools and methods to help yourself adjust. Your child, no matter how small, can benefit from what you know. When you give your child this understanding, especially when it is coming from you, it will be such a valuable tool for them. As they grow older and wiser, they will see the benefit of helping themselves. Remember how you respond and act can be repeated by them. Therefore, how you deal with situations can also be followed and learned. Guide your child and let them learn to accept ways of helping themselves. Show by example and share. They will grow up to be more than competent adults because of the way you raised them and because of what you showed them through yourself.