Be the people you want your kids to be...

You’ve probably heard the phrase, “Do as I say, not what I do.” I wonder if that was invented to assuage the guilt of poor parenting, or if people ever thought it might actually work. Either way, just commit to never saying it again. For a variety of reasons. First, it doesn’t work, at least not in the long term. It usually gets said because a child noticed your behavior and repeated it. So you’re thinking that something they’ve become accustomed to will be changed by your one little scolding. Good luck with that. Second, hypocrisy is not a viable parenting technique. Saying one thing and doing another will get you nowhere. At least nowhere you want to go.

I hear parents air complaints about their kids’ behavior all the time. Nothing excessive, just typical stuff, bad words, bad attitudes, they treat mom like this or dad like that. They don’t listen, they don’t obey, they don’t take responsibility. Here’s a scary truth. Your children will grow up to be little versions of you. That begs the question, “Who are you?” Are you patient? Are you kind? Are you loving and affectionate and confident and positive and respectful? Because if you aren’t, you are teaching your kids that they can behave the same way. You feel the pressure now? Yeah, me too.

As parents, we have to practice. Practice patience, practice kindness, practice speaking softly and lovingly. It needs to become a habit so it can shape our kids to be good and Godly people.