Adoption Week e-Magazine Article
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Walking the Walk Will Influence Kids
Gary Direnfeld, MSW, RSW
Parents must understand that, when dealing with kids' behaviour, the parent must not only talk the talk, but walk the walk.
When it comes to parental influence, what a child watches will trump what the child hears. You can tell a child what to do until you are blue in the face. And, until your behaviour matches your words, you are just spinning your wheels.
If you want to improve the likelihood your daughter will quit smoking, you should quit first. Then you can legitimately use yourself as a role model.
You will then have the moral authority in her eyes.
This same premise holds true for most other aspects of teen behaviour, including drinking, partying, sexual behaviour and even the child's academic performance.
Hence, parents need to be mindful of their drinking, party behaviour and attitude toward work because it will influence the children.
Gary Direnfeld is a Dundas social worker specializing in parent-child relationships.
