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What parents do and say, provide their children with the experiences that the children interpret into beliefs.
These beliefs, in turn, determine their behaviour and emotions and eventually their lives, for better or for worse.
The single factor that has the greatest impact on whether or not your child achieves happiness and true satisfaction in life is a healthy self-esteem. Nothing they do, feel or learn as children will have as much influence on their adult lives as the fundamental beliefs they form as children and carry into adulthood.
What are the possibilities of a really satisfying life if you were made to believe you are not worthwhile? Given that fact, the major role of parents is facilitating their children in creating positive conclusions about themselves and their lives.
The best way I know of to ensure that you are getting your job done as a parent is to constantly ask yourself the question: What is my child likely to conclude about his or her life as a result of their interaction with me?
If it is a positive conclusion, congratulations! You are doing a great job. If the feedback comes back negative, then go back and clear that up.
There are several ways that parents can influence their children. They are the people children interact with and imitate most. All the simple values of life, such as love, goodness, respect and empathy for others are basically learned from the parents.
The children’s reaction then tends to fall into two main categories: children who choose to pattern themselves after what they see their parents do or those that choose to avoid being like their parents.
I know that I tried to model myself after my parents in many ways because I thought they have done many things right.
On the other hand, there are things that I think they did wrong and I consciously try to avoid doing them. But either way, the way I live my life has been influenced by them.
The exposure to values and beliefs would be one of the strongest influences that parents have over children in their lives.
If parents teach and practice values that are antisocial, the likelihood of their children embracing such values increases.
Naturally, children do have autonomy and freedom of opinion. Yet, the ideas and values imparted by parents to children and supported by the home setting enhance their chances of forming good or bad ways of life.
Parents’ influence on their children is all pervasive. First, they create the life and mix the genes. Children then inherit some traits from their parents who then create the environment that the children are raised in. They heavily influence personality and intelligence through the ways in which they interact with the children.
As the children grow, they are prepared for life as adults either directly or indirectly and even as adults, they have a considerable ongoing influence.
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