🚨 The Importance of a Positive Example: How Your Behavior Influences Your Child’s Decisions 🌟
There’s an old saying: “Children don’t do what we tell them; they do what they see in us.” In daily life, the example we set as parents has a profound impact on the decisions our children make. Our behaviors, attitudes, and the way we handle stress become models for them, and can significantly influence their choices, including whether they engage in risky behaviors like drug use.
💡 How parental example influences your child’s life
1. The Lifestyle You Promote 🏋️♂️
The lifestyle parents practice daily has a direct impact on how children learn to take care of themselves. If you lead a healthy lifestyle, based on proper nutrition, exercise, and self-care, it’s more likely your children will adopt those behaviors.
Example: If your children see you preparing balanced meals and going out for walks or exercising, they’re more likely to pick up those habits, understanding the importance of caring for their bodies.
Suggestion: Involve your child in healthy activities. Go for walks together, cook nutritious meals, and show them how good self-care can improve their quality of life.
2. Stress Management 😌
We all face stressful moments, but how we manage these situations is a key example for our children. If you handle challenges calmly, with healthy solutions like exercise, deep breathing, or talking to someone, you are modeling appropriate ways to manage stress.
Example: A parent who responds calmly to a problem, showing resilience and adaptability, teaches their child to face stress without turning to destructive behaviors like substance use.
Suggestion: Share your own stress management strategies with your children. Explain how taking a moment to reflect or going for a walk can help reduce anxiety, and encourage them to do the same.
3. How You Face Problems 💪
Teenagers are constantly observing how their parents deal with adversity. If you tend to face problems with courage and optimism, you’re showing your children how to handle challenges without resorting to easy escapes like drugs or alcohol.
Example: A teenager who sees their parents seeking solutions to problems rather than avoiding them will learn that challenges are overcome through action, not escape.
Suggestion: When facing a problem at home, involve your child in the process of finding solutions. Show them that it’s possible to resolve difficult situations without falling apart or seeking destructive escapes.
4. Attitudes Toward Emotions 🧠
Parents’ emotional management also deeply impacts their children. If you show an open attitude toward your emotions and manage them in a healthy way, you’ll teach your children to accept and process their own feelings.
Example: If you talk openly about your emotions—whether it’s sadness, joy, or frustration—without repressing or exaggerating them, you show your child that it’s okay to feel and express emotions.
Suggestion: Encourage an environment where emotions can be discussed freely. Urge your child to share how they feel, and show understanding by validating their emotions instead of downplaying them.
5. Substance Use or Negative Habits 🚫
Parents who excessively consume alcohol, smoke, or engage in destructive habits also send a message to their children. Parental substance use can significantly increase the likelihood that children will follow the same path. By observing these behaviors, children may see them as normal or acceptable.
Example: If a teenager grows up in a home where excessive alcohol or tobacco use is common, they may view these substances as an acceptable way to handle stress or difficult emotions.
Suggestion: Be mindful of the messages you send through your own behavior. If you smoke or drink, try to do so out of your child’s sight, and use the opportunity to talk to them about the risks associated with substance abuse.
6. Open and Positive Communication 🗣️
Teenagers raised in an environment where communication is open and respectful tend to make healthier decisions. If you foster dialogue as a parent and show genuine interest in what your child is thinking and feeling, you’re laying the groundwork for them to turn to you when they face problems.
Example: If you take the time to ask your child how their day went or if they have any concerns, you’re showing them that they can always count on you.
Suggestion: Create daily opportunities for conversation, where you can talk with your child without interruptions or distractions. This type of interaction can make a big difference in their emotional well-being.
✅ Final Considerations
As parents, we are often unaware of the significant impact our behavior has on our children’s decisions. Our examples, both positive and negative, are shaping how they face the world. If you want your children to make healthy choices and stay away from risky behaviors, start by being the example you want them to follow.
With love,
Dr. Arturo José Sánchez Hernández
Your friend in health promotion 💙
Discover more of my works at: https://books2read.com/asanchez
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