The only truth prevailing across the universe for a child’s behavior is, “your child will never do what you ask him/her to do, S/he will duplicate what you do.”
So my simple question to myself, while raising my 10 year old daughter is, “is this what I want my daughter to duplicate?” If the answer is No, the desired act is not good for me either. It does not matter whether you act in the presence or absence of your child, they will catch your behavior and duplicate it for sure.
I believe with the above exercise, the major concerns are resolved like how to reduce screen time for my child, what should I do to ensure that my child eats healthy food, how I can inculcate a book reading habit in my child, right?
Now, as we know the basics, let us talk about our reactions to their behavior as our words and expressions leave a great impact on a child’s subconscious mind and would bother him/her all throughout the life. Watching our words can also change the pattern of their brain’s reaction. Example, I never ask my daughter “what all you could not answer in the exam”. I always ask her with a smiling face, “what all we need to learn post exam”. In the first case, the question shows a child’s weakness and you are provoking his/her negative thoughts to respond. In the later case, you are provoking his/her strength to learn and hence positive thoughts to respond. Both drive negative and positive energy in our mind and body respectively and hence the further development of the child.
Also, I want to talk about one miss conception that I often observe in the parents around. Giving quality time to your child is not just watching a movie/cartoon show with them or taking them out for shopping. Spending time in talking to them to the deepest, understanding their response pattern, observing the change in their behavior, playing a few games of their choice and most importantly, making them understand that, no matter what, your parents are always with you – makes the best out of a parent-child relationship.
May god bless all the children on this globe 🙂
