Raising Limitless Kids: The Power of Parental Modeling

Family is everything! I wholeheartedly embrace this belief, and it is the reason I think we should approach our role as parents and guardiens with utmost dedication and never take it for granted. After weeks of cherished family visits and a hectic schedule, which necessitated a break from social media, I am excited to return with fresh insights from a new program focused on brain, potential, leadership and youth development.

I have recently embarked on another journey to deepen my understanding of the brain. This new program is both fascinating and challenging. As our esteemed mentor John C. Maxwell wisely states, "The greatest enemy of learning is knowing!" It is imperative to remain perpetually curious and committed to lifelong learning, as we must continually replenish our knowledge to effectively add value to others.

As a youth leadership faculty and mentor, I always emphasize the crucial role parents play in shaping their children's behavior and values. From birth, parents set the stage for their children's learning by modeling the behaviors they wish to see. It is essential to be careful and intentional in demonstrating positive habits, as children learn by observing and imitating their parents.

Jim Kwik, a renowned brain coach and author known for his expertise in learning and memory enhancement. in one of this teachings "Raising Limitless Children," highlights how the human mind, especially in children, has endless potential. He believes that parents are key in unlocking this potential by setting good examples. By showing positive behaviors and habits, parents can help their children develop a strong mindset, motivation, and effective ways of learning. Kwik underscores the importance of early and consistent modeling because children primarily learn by watching their parents.

Modeling Behavior: The Foundation of Your Child's Growth

Becoming a parent transforms you. When your child comes into the world, you suddenly have to shuffle priorities and show up in a completely different way. Life might have been about your own goals, but now it's about this little person who depends on you entirely. This change requires you to adjust your behavior. As your child grows and learns, you need to grow and learn with them and even sometime learn from them!

The lives we live are the lessons we teach. Our behavior becomes the ultimate model for our children, starting from Day One. Each day presents opportunities to learn what they need and how to provide for them in ways that promote growth. However, as they get older, they will be influenced by friends, the internet, and the media. This natural shift makes it crucial to model good habits early to establish healthy behaviors before external influences become stronger.

A lack of conscious choice around what we teach our children can have dire consequences. In 1961, psychologist Albert Bandura conducted the famous Bobo Doll Experiment. Researchers physically and verbally abused a doll in front of preschool-aged children, who then mimicked the behavior by attacking the doll in the same way. This study demonstrated that children learn through observing adult behavior.

You might think you don't demonstrate negative behaviors, but consider a few examples:

• If you regularly eat junk food but tell your kids not to eat sugary snacks, they will notice the inconsistency.
• If you tell your son to be kind but yell at a store clerk for making a mistake, your behavior sends a conflicting message.
• If you limit your daughter's screen time but are always on your phone or laptop, she will likely follow your example.
• If you tell your kids they should read more books but they never see you read, they are less likely to develop a reading habit.

These scenarios illustrate how the behaviors we model are far more influential than the behaviors we simply talk about.

The greatest gift we can give our child is a model that teaches them the proper mindset, motivation, and methods to live life to the fullest—and that model is US. It's easier for children to learn good habits early than it is to unlearn bad habits later. Therefore, unlimiting yourself is just as important as unlimiting your child. You can make a greater impact by incorporating these lessons in a way that makes them enjoyable.

If you want your children to learn the value of hard work, let them see you at work. If you work from home, show them what you're doing and let them see you enjoying it. Apply this to chores as well. Make sure your children see everyone in the home participating in cleaning, grocery shopping, cooking, and laundry. Encourage them to help with more difficult chores and allow them to complete easier chores on their own.

When teaching your children something new, demonstrate how you would do it. This is especially powerful if you don't know how to solve the problem. For instance, if you struggle with common core math problems, let your kids teach you what they know and work through the problems together. Be open to their suggestions and praise them when they succeed in teaching you something. By showing curiosity and an open attitude, your children are more likely to adopt these same attitudes toward learning.

This doesn't mean we have to be the perfect model for our children. There is no such thing as perfection. We just need to practice what we preach, but it never has to be perfect. Remember, practice makes progress. As long as we are putting in effort each day and being mindful of the lessons we are teaching, we will be doing well with our children.

You want to know how to raise limiteless children? Contact me to book a 30 minutes free coaching session!