10 Ways To Teach Kids Without Talking

Do you have kids at home and wondering how to teach them?

James Baldwin once said “Children have never been very good at listening to their elders, but they have never failed to imitate them.“

What this means is that your actions more than anything else will go a long way in teaching your kids good qualities.

Whether you know it or not, the best way to teach kids as parents is by setting good example.

Let us take a look at some few things you can do in teaching your kids from home.

1. Be a role-model
When it comes to your kids, role-modelling is everything. Your children pay attention to everything you say and do, and they imitate your words and actions. Keep in mind how easily they are influenced. That is why you must be your best.

2. Take care of yourself
Being your best starts with taking good care of yourself -- getting enough sleep, making time to exercise, eating good food and finding healthy ways to manage negative emotions without lashing out.

Depleting yourself by constantly putting other people's needs first is not a good move. That's not the kind of future you want for your kid -- so don't model it, yourself.

3. Be reliable
You don't want to raise a flaky kid who lets people down -- so make sure to model dependability.

That means coming through for your child instead of letting work or other obligations always come first. It also means coming through for friends, family, colleagues and everyone else in your life.

4. Evaluate yourself
"Checking in" to evaluate your own behavior is a beautiful practice -- and it's healthy for your child to see and hear you doing it, too.

You can open up conversations with your child by saying things like:

: Lately, I've been thinking: I might be watching too much TV.

I'm feeling a bit tired. I'm think that I need to start eating better food.

:Today I felt so angry! I think it's time for me to look at how I handle conflict with others.

Invite your child into the conversation to share some things that he or she would like to explore or improve, as well.

By doing this, you're reinforcing the idea that being an awesome person is an on-going process. There's always room to learn and grow!

5. Be loyal
We live in an era where removing a "friend" from your life can happen at the touch of a button. Show your child what true loyalty looks like -- showing up to help a friend in a time of need, or sticking with a local business owner who has served your family for years, instead of hopping over to the newest cheap-o mega-store.

6. Be attentive
As children get older, they push for more independence ("Mom, please don't come in my room!") and that's to be expected. But as a parent, your job isn't to be a "cool friend." Your job is to be a parent. Which means being attentive and making sure that your child isn't in harm's way -- even if your child thinks you're "annoying."

You can say:
"You are so precious to me, and it's my job to make sure that you're healthy and safe, always. I hope that one day, you'll understand why it's my job to be so attentive, and to take care of the people I love. I hope that one day, if you have children, you'll be concerned and attentive, too."

7. Teach healthy skepticism
Children are naturally trusting and they look eagerly to their surroundings for role models. Teach them that not all "role models" are reliable. Show them what it looks like to have a healthy skepticism and to "follow your instincts."

For example, at a car dealership, you could privately turn to your child say:

"This man says that this is the best deal in town, but I have a hunch he might not be correct. Let's check out some other dealerships. It's important to trust your gut."

8. Apologise when you've done something wrong

When you do something wrong -- say, barking angrily at your spouse because you're grumpy and hungry -- don't make excuses. Take responsibility and admit that you did something unacceptable.

It's healthy for your child to see examples of grown-ups taking responsibility for their actions -- and enforcing "consequences" to correct inappropriate behavior.

"I wanted to go out and get a manicure, today, but I yelled at your father and that caused a big fight. Instead, we're going to stay home and spend some time talking, together. We're going to figure out a plan so that this doesn't happen again."

9. Enforce consequences
So many parents are hesitant to enforce consequences when a kid breaks a rule, but consistency is essential.

When your child does something unacceptable, you must implement an appropriate consequence. This is connected to lesson #3: Be dependable. Kids thrive on consistency and reliability. Without it, they invariably feel aimless and unsupported... and are at risk for developing into adults who don't know how to be consistent, either.

10. Read together on a daily basis
A lot of people don't realise just how many skills can be picked up through the simple act of reading to a child. Not only are you showing them how to sound out words, you're also building key comprehension skills, growing their vocabulary, and letting them hear what a fluent reader sounds like. Most of all, regular reading helps your child to develop a love reading, which is the best way to set them up for reading success.

Strengthen your child's comprehension skills by asking questions while reading. For younger children, encourage them to engage with the pictures. For older children, ask questions about what you've just read, like “Why do you think the little bird was afraid?” “When did Sophie realise she had special powers?”

Conclusion
The habits that children develop at an early age tend to stick with them as they grow older. Since bad habits are tough to break, one of the best things you can do for your children, from day one, is to model behavior which positively shapes their character and values, and equips them to live responsible, productive lives.

The sooner, the better. The more consistent, the better.

That said, no matter what age your children are, it's never too late to model the behavior you want your children to adopt... raising awesome kids who grow up to become awesome adults!

About The Author
Emmanuel Asiedu is a Content Writer and a Home Tuition Analyst at Excellent Home Classes.

He helps connect parents and students to expert tutors all over the country.

You can reach him via email: [email protected] or visit: www.excellenthomeclasses.com