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The influence of positive role models for kids can help parents and encourage kids to make good choices. Making good choices at a young age can also promote good behavior in the teenage and adult years.
"No printed word, nor spoken plea can teach young minds what they should be. Not all the books on all the shelves - but what the teachers are themselves." --Rudyard Kipling
Young children's greatest role models are usually their parents. This can be a daunting realization at first for parents as they struggle to live up to that expectation. Shaping kids behavior can be as simple as setting a positive example. Parents can set a good example for their children by telling the truth, being fair to their kids and to peers, loving unconditionally, and by working hard, setting boundaries, and by gentle and loving discipline.
Showing children good examples can do more to curb their negative behavior than telling them what to do or even yelling or disciplining. Kids look to their parents to teach them not only with their words but by their deeds as well.
Kids will naturally gravitate towards role models that are kind and do good. For example, a little girl may become fixated on a Disney princess. A lot of young girls love Cinderella and want to be just like her. They will dress up in a Cinderella costume all day instead of their clothes. They will want to watch Cinderella movies, sleep with princess dolls, dress up her dolls to look like her and so on. As long as a role model does not display violence and negative behavior, foster their imagination with these positive influences.
Parents need to make sure that positive role models are available to their kids. It may be a princess, but even better a real human being such as a grandpa, an uncle, a sister, a cousin, a friend, or a parent. Remember parents are the biggest influence on their own children. Make sure it is a positive one!
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