Parents: #1 Role Model

Don't worry that children never listen to you; worry that they are always watching you. -Robert Fulghum

Over the last week or so, Juliana has slowly become more attached to me. She cries now when I leave the apartment to go to work, clings to my legs when we're out at the mall, and comes up to me when I'm on the computer to give me a hug or sit on my lap. Along with her open displays of affection, she's also become more shy around strangers, which I guess is a good thing. Before, she would pretty much go up to anyone and wouldn't complain if someone she didn't know picked her up. Now, she is a bit more hesitant around people she doesn't know and cries if she is scared.

The more she changes, the more I realize how much she is watching everything single thing I say and do. I liked this quote from a parenting site I subscribe to, because as parents, we sometimes forget that we are our children's number one role model. Juliana loves to mimic what we say, especially lately when we are trying to tell her not to do something. She'll look right at me and say, "No no no no." It's hard to keep a straight face, but if I laugh, she'll think it's funny and okay to do whatever it is she's doing (climbing on furniture, playing with her food, etc.).

Being a role model is a hard job, but once we become parents, we've immediately signed up for the task. Juliana's self-confidence is going to develop over the years and in order for it to be strong, she needs to see her mom and dad display confidence, self-love and respect. It's not always easy to remember this in difficult times, when all we want to do is lie down and cry right along with them!

The point of this post is simple: parenting is a live and learn process. As people always like to say, they don't hand out a manual on our way out of the hospital after our child is born. We will make plenty of mistakes along the way and learn how to be the best role model for our children by how they react to us. I hope that Juliana will be able to grow up and be proud of who she is and where she came from. In one of my parenting books, it says, "You shouldn't have expectations as parents. You raise your children and teach them about love and respect. They may not turn out to be who or what you expected, but that's the point. They grow up and you have to let go. Respect their choices and decisions and pray that they will learn from their mistakes." As Juliana gets older and begins to make choices for herself, I need to remember that it's not my job to choose a life for her, but to provide her with the tools necessary to handle the trials and tribulations that life is constantly presenting. That means always being aware of what I say and how I act, because she is always watching!

A special thanks to my own parents, especially my mom who continues to be an exceptional role model for me and now her grand daughter too.