Your Kids Are Watching
Hey there, parents. Let me hit you with something real: Your kids are always watching. Seriously. They’re observing everything you say, everything you do.
They’re watching how you talk to their mom, how your mom talks to you, and how you react when your own parents speak to you. They’re processing your reactions when you’re excited, when you’re frustrated, or even when something as simple as milk spills. They’re noting how you respond to nature, to bugs, to animals, to dogs running up to you. Even the most seemingly insignificant, unnoticeable moments – they’re soaking it all in.
Every little thing. They’re digesting it, processing it, and ultimately, they’re going to mimic it. This mimicry will become a fundamental part of who they are.
So, as a parent, keep this in mind. You have the power to choose how you react in any given moment. Often, we respond to situations in the same ways our parents did. But if you didn’t like how your parents reacted – if they were quick to anger, temperamental, or just generally “punks” – this is your golden opportunity to break that cycle.
Because here’s the honest truth: If you don’t make that conscious effort, your kids are likely to grow up exhibiting those very same behaviors you disliked.
Consider this a public service announcement, maybe even more for myself than for anyone else. Just today, I had a bit of a meltdown with my own child. I got incredibly frustrated. Later, I saw my kids interacting, one yelling at the other, and it hit me: “Man, that’s mimicking me sometimes.”
That’s the moment to step back. Apologize. Make amends. Let them know that my reaction wasn’t okay, that how I reacted wasn’t cool. And then, I need to commit mentally to not repeating that behavior. It’s tough, I know. Life is hard, and our reactions can often be split-second, ingrained responses. But we can change. We can be better. We can be nice, we can be kind, we can be all sorts of beautiful things. Sometimes, we just need to consciously remind ourselves to be that person.
Ultimately, my goal, and I hope yours too, is to make sure we don’t raise another generation that reflects the worst of us. Let’s make them better than we are now. The world can be a nasty, nasty place at times, and we need to keep working through it, healing it as we go.
That’s all I’ve got, folks. Have a beautiful day. Peace.
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