Children Learn What They Live

“Children Learn What They Live,” by Dorothy Law Nolte, Parenting to Inspire Values, was my parenting bible (period.) I literally flipped thru the pages inside out for years. In fact, I breathe in and out through the book. Recently, I happened to pick up the book and took a peek.

--courtesy of amazon.ca

As I mentioned to you in my previous post, Motivation and us, that my younger one had put my patience to test, and literally had pulled my brain out. I had nowhere to turn to, but parenting books. I discovered this book by accident and it turned out to be the best book that I ever bought in my life.Well, so far ...

What this book describes is what I believe as we do what we preach. If we criticize our next generation, we in turn have taught them how to condemn. If they live with encouragement, they learn confidence. If they live with acknowledgement, they will learn to appreciate. If they live with recognition, they will learn to have a goal. If they live with kindness and consideration, they learn respect.

I always want my girl to thrive for knowledge, thriving beyond grades. In the past, I have chaperoned many field trips. In each of field trips that I have chaperoned, I took the opportunity to show my girls that I, too, enjoy learning. I participated in their activities; I raised my hands and asked questions. Mr. W, their fifth grade teacher, once told me that I was like a big kid. I truly enjoy learning, as one of my ex-coworker told me; one thing that he has always admired me is my attitude toward learning. 

When we look in front of the mirror...  We would see not only our own reflection but also our children. Somehow, whatever we do, they are right behind us and without us realizing it, they copy everything that we do. According to the author, "children are like sponges. They soak up everything we do, everything we say. They're learning from us all the time, whether or not we realize we are teaching them. So, if we fall into a pattern of being critical-- of complaining about them, others, or the world around us -- we are teaching them to see what's wrong with the world, rather than what's right. "

Hopefully this blog inspires all of us to live up to what we are preaching.  Let's pace our walk and make sure we talk the talk, walk the walk that we intend to show to our next generation.

Until next stop,
Journey of Life