Caught Vs Taught

Kids do what they see their parents doing – end of story.

So are you being a positive influence on your child?

Boundaries is a book I highly recommend when it comes to raising your children. In clear english it sets out the pricipal that raising your child is a “long-term” big picture strategy. Simple things like “always picking up after your child” instead of “the child picking up after themselves” make a huge difference in the long term outlook of your child. Will they always expect a spouse to “pick up after them”… or coworkers to “take up their slack”?

As a parent you want your child to be able to handle important responsibilities and learn to internalize how other people feel. The book discusses setting “boundaries” that teach children how to be an adult. They need to learn to take care of themselves. They need to learn not to “hurt” others. They need to learn how to proactively plan their lives. And children need to learn that your love is not dependent on their emotional reactions and attempts at control. You love them no matter what.

Part of boundary setting is being able to handle adult life yourself. Are you allowing people to hurt you? Are you modeling behavior that is controlling and unsafe for your children. Take a second and think about it.