How to Influence Your Children Through Your Actions

How could you influence your children through your actions? Being an optimist or a pessimist is your choice. When you are an optimist and you are enthusiastic about things, children have an intuitive way of knowing this. Happiness is infectious and being optimistic will always be the best attitude when dealing with children. Optimism will ultimately influence your children to positive thoughts and actions.

The adage, "Actions speak louder than words," is appropriate in such situations. If you want your actions to have a positive influence on your children then you should do what is right and lead by example.

Parents in countless ways could influence their children through their actions. Demonstrate this optimism by:

1. Show your children how to find the positive aspect in any given situation, even in a perceived bad one.

There will always be something positive no matter how dismal an occurrence is. It would be difficult at first to adapt this outlook but through constant practice, eventually this pleasant habit would be acquired and could eventually be utilized with ease.

2. Teach your children how to appreciate their blessings every day.

Every morning, let them look at themselves at the mirror and count their blessings. Instruct them to appreciate their five senses; their sense of sight, sense of hearing, sense of taste, sense of smell and their sense of touch. They have their hands, their feet; they have complete body parts. Just by these blessings, they should be happy. Then they should go on to appreciate the things around them, their family, and the roof over their head, their health, and their food on the table.

They could be thankful for countless things.

Teach your child through example, that happiness is a state of the mind; that happiness does not come from owning all the wealth and success in the world. Let them learn that appreciating what little you have is happiness. This is one proven way to influence your children through your actions.

Teaching your children the right frame of mind would make it easier for them to follow this up with actions. Act on what these positive thoughts would inspire you to do. You could do this by:

1. Explaining to your children the rationale of a seemingly illogical action.

They are not mind readers and for you to assume that they would understand what you did without an explanation, is sometimes dangerous. It is wise to talk to them and cite the good reasons why you had acted that way.

2. When you do something, do so only when you are certain that your action would influence your children positively.

If you think it would not, then don't do it. The hesitation denotes it is not a good alternative.

3. You should practice what you preach.

If you want them to tidy up when they're done bathing, then you should do this too. It is through example that you can teach your children best. This is because they are very good imitators. Your actions will influence them tremendously.

4. Be sincere in your actions and these would set a good example to your children.

Children are very perceptive and are keen observers. They could see through you if you're just faking the action or not. (i.e. donating money to charity to get your picture on the papers.) They would despise you instead, if they would come to know of your hypocrisy.

When you have the correct attitude, positive actions will follow. These would then bounce back to your children in various beneficial ways, so think right, act good and gain good karma from your children.