Do What I Say and NOT What I Do
Modeling / Observation
Officially, this way of learning is called Modeling or Observation and is more powerful than we can even imagine.
My little Jacob was sitting beside his Dad on the couch and mimicked every little action he was doing. At one point Jacob came and got a cup of orange juice because that was what Dad was sipping. Jacob then went to set on the couch and held the cup, just like Dad. Every time Dad sipped, he would sip. It was adorable and POWERFUL at the same time.
That old saying, “Do what I say and not what I do,” just simply is NEVER how things work. Kids learn by observation/ modeling. It's sobering and humbling, but reality.
The good news is that we can change what they observe, by changing our behavior and then explaining WHY we did. This models intentionality in order to improve, a great skill and character trait.
What are you children learning from you through modeling/ observation? Come share the good or the bad, which is the first self-aware step toward changing the action.