Education by example

Definition of role model

A role model is a model that other individuals aspire to be like. One of these models may be a well-known person who interacts with on a regular basis, such as parents or any family member, or it may be someone who has never been met, such as a celebrity or public figures such as policemen or politicians. Or teachers and others.

The meaning of education in role models

Children are born without any knowledge or social skills, and when they reach a certain age, they begin to search for someone to imitate. This person is often one or both of the parents, who are the first example and role model to follow by monitoring and imitating their actions. The child constantly watches his parents, for example. When using certain terms such as: thank you and please, he also learns to include them in his daily life, and using social skills is a great way to model positive behavior and enhance the child’s self-confidence.

Steps that parents should follow to raise by example

Raising happy children does not require parents to be “perfect,” but it is not that difficult. Children need love, affection, and setting some boundaries. Therefore, the primary job of parents is to be the best role model, and in order to achieve this, they must first take a look at their own lives and evaluate their lives. Their daily behavior, and the following is an explanation of some of the steps that parents can take to help the child take his parents as his role models:

• Enhancing the child’s self-esteem: Children see their image reflected in the eyes of their parents, and the parents’ words may affect the smallest details in their lives. For example, praising achievements, no matter how small, will make them feel proud, and vice versa! Comments that belittle them or compare them to other children who are better than them will make them feel worthless.
• Avoid cursing and hitting: Cursing and violence must be avoided so that children learn that it is wrong. Parents must also show mercy and choose words carefully, away from cursing and insulting terms.
• Avoid criticism and negativity: Parents should avoid negative criticism and focus on compliments and constructive opinions, such as noticing and praising correct behavior. These statements will help encourage good behavior in the long term.
• Discipline and law-making: Discipline is a necessary thing in every home, and its goal is to distinguish the child from acceptable behavior and learn self-control, as the child needs certain limits to become a responsible teenager. When rules are established at home, the child becomes more disciplined, and parents may need to resort to punishment in certain cases, such as preventing... Using the phone or preventing going out, etc., but it is very necessary then to adhere to this punishment because it helps to adhere to the laws.
• Allocate special time for children: Children who do not receive enough attention often misbehave to attract attention, so it is necessary to allocate some time to the child and look for ways to communicate with him and participate in his daily life.
• Representing the qualities of a good model: Young children learn a lot about how to behave by observing their parents, so they must try to follow good qualities such as respect, friendliness, honesty, kindness, tolerance, and other behaviors that the child tends to imitate.
• Communicating and expressing feelings: Parents should not force the child to do anything without providing explanations and explaining the point of view, and allowing him to understand it in a non-judgmental way. It is also preferable for parents to constantly express their feelings, share children’s problems, and invite them to find solutions to them.
• Flexibility and ability to change the style of education: Sometimes parents may feel psychological pressure from their children’s behavior, but they must understand that when children change over time, parents must change as well. Because the behavior of a two-year-old child is different from the behavior of a four-year-old child, for example.
• Show love and affection: Parents are responsible for correcting and guiding children, and children receiving orders depends on the correct or wrong way of directing them, so parents should try to show affection and love in all situations.
• Identify strengths and weaknesses: All people, whether parents or children, have strengths and weaknesses. Therefore, we must focus on the strong points and work on the weak ones, and try to balance them between them.