As a child I constantly heard, “Do as I say, not what I do!” from my parents. The mentality of children doing what they are told and not what they see is not realistic. Children mimic what they see; they pick up lessons from watching how we act.

What are we teaching our children without trying? What life lessons are they picking up from us that we do not want them to imitate?

If our children see us as parents not taking care of ourselves, what message is it sending them? Through not practicing, the good habits that we want our children to develop on their lives we are passing down negative patterns.

Most mothers are busy and they rarely make time for themselves. What message does this send to children? They might interpret that it is not important to take time for oneself or that they are not worth taking care of themselves. They might get the message that mothers are not suppose to spend time developing their own interest or growing as a person. Is that the message that we want them to grow up and incorporate into their own lives?

What about a parent that works all the time spending little time with their children? Will they grow up thinking that family is less important? Will they think that they are less important?

What are you showing your children with your own patterns of self-neglect, of misplaced priorities, of poor time and stress management?

Better yet, how will our children learn positive life skills if we do not show them how by example? How will our children develop a healthy self-esteem if we don’t show them?

We are the number one role model and teachers in our children’s lives. Along with the basics, it is up to us to show our children how to have a healthy self-image and how to make all the demands of life fit into our lives. Children learn the unspoken, they learn through examples that their parents teach them.

Are you living a life that you would want your children to grow up and live? If your not, it is not too late to show your children how to turn things around. It is not too late to start showing them that people can change their lives. They can grow and improve.

Take the first step towards a better life for yourself and give your child(ren) the best example that you can. Do it for you, do it for them, but above all, just do it. Make the changes that will promote happiness, well-being, and balance!