“A chip off the old block.” “Flip side of the same coin.” “The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.” “Like father, like son.” “She lives up to the family name.” These folk phrases succinctly sum up the family’s characterizations — some complimentary, others definitely not. They all infer that parents are to blame for how children turn out – for better or worse
Children, in general, do tend to grow up to be a lot like their parents. They tend to take their parents’ actions as the model and do the same things like their parents do. If they live in a home with smoker parents, children will do the same thing when they are grown up. While, if they live in a home with caring, loving, and supporting parents, they will do the same thing to their children and even more. Based on that, it turns out that folk wisdom is right after all – “Seeing is believing.” What children see and believe, they will become it.
The current thought about children’s behaviors stated that their behaviors are related to 2 factors: biological and environmental. Social scientists and genetic researchers have identified many cycles that loop from one generation to the next.
Cycles teach us that role modeling can be an extremely effective parenting tool. Being a positive role model requires fore-thought and self-control. Parents need to identify the positive things that they can do as the role model for their children — things like happiness, consideration, self-respect, patience, generosity, self-discipline, diligence, kindness, bravery, and compassion. Role model feeding the parents’ body with wholesome and nourishing food, expanding parents’ minds with enlightening reading, exercising for physical and mental health, speaking well about ourselves and others, and enjoying life with friends and family.
When it comes to school, all parents want their children to be successful. Parents get involved by helping the children prepare for the school year, and ensuring they don’t fall behind.
Achieving Preparedness
Overall preparedness contributes to a child’s feeling of empowerment and confidence in the school’s setting and beyond. Pan Dunham, coordinator at Teacher College of San Joaquin, said “When their needs are taken care of… they feel more confident. It helps build their independence”. She breaks preparedness into five main categories: emotional, social, practical, physical, and academic.
Teachers as Resources.
Every step in child’s journey will be aided by teachers along the way. Katie Burns, Teacher College of San Joaquin, said “I’d recommend to parents that they connect early on with child’s teacher. When the teacher has strong connections with the parent, they can work together to support the child in being successful.”
There are a lot of fun, creative, and easy ways that parents can do to involve in their children’s life: make a studying routine; consider a child’s learning style and create an environment that meets their individual needs; ask open-ended questions to support child’s learning such as “how did you come up with that answer?”; provide a guided choice, (i.e. what homework would you like to do next?); test their children knowledge before a test by picking a random problem on the page to solve. If a child can’t do it, go back and study the concept again.
Parenthood is a privilege which brings along with itself a lot of responsibilities. All the responsibilities are magnificently met by parents and so it lies on our part to realize their hard work and give them a token of love.
Source: https://issuu.com/sanjoaquinmagazine/docs/sj_parents_sept-oct_2016_issuu; http://www.easternflorida.edu/community-resources/child-development-centers/parent-resource-library/documents/parents-powerful-role-models.pdf
