One of the biggest disconnects that you can have with your kids is if you don’t practice what you preach. I believe that each generation grows up faster than the one before. Today’s kids can not only see the hypocrisy, but they will call you out on it as well. Some old school parents might be shocked or upset at this notion of honesty from kids today. I think it can be a great reminder that we all need to be at our best. If you retort, by saying back in my day, kids were seen and not heard can cause a lot more problems. You can hurt your relationship with your kids. In addition, you could have a negative impact on how your kids think about themselves and the world.
What Do You Preach?
What are some of the main things you look to teach your kids? Is it about hard work? Do you focus on eating healthy and working out? Maybe you are into telling your kids that honesty is the best policy. No matter what you are teaching them, you need to be following your own lead. It helps if you put yourself into your kid’s shoes. When you were a kid and you were told to always tell the truth, did your parents do the same? If not, maybe you have trust issues because you didn’t see honesty as a two way street. When we forget about what it was like when we were kids, we could make the same mistakes that were made from prior generations.
Do You Practice It?
If you really want your kids to follow your advice and teachings, you must lead by example. We all have had times in our lives where we get jaded from different experiences. It could be from a boss that speaks from both sides of their mouth. We can remember a time when our parents or grandparents didn’t practice what they preached. It can be very upsetting. If you see your kids not listening to your words of wisdom, you need to ask yourself if you are listening to your own words? Have honest conversations with your kids to see if they feel like you are leading by example. This will not only make them listen to you, but it will create healthy relationships that they can pass on to their kids. It starts with us. We have to be the example they want to follow.