Parenting: Coerce what you want ..... or Model it

November of 2012, 3 GenerationsJohn Combs, me, my Dad

As parents, how do we get the character traits we want from our children?  How do we develop them to become the best they can be?

It is always good to talk to our kids. Certainly talking about honesty, discipline, toughness, unselfishness & other character traits we value has a place.

When I was growing up, my Dad talked about things like that at times, though not a lot. But, he lived those things on a daily basis. I got to see what it meant to be tough, honest, disciplined, & unselfish. 

I am 50 years old and still working on being all of those things. But, at 50, I WANT to be those things because I saw them in my Dad.

As a parent, MODEL the behavior you want from your kids.  If you want your child to be disciplined, you be disciplined. I do think kids, both at home and in the lockerroom, gravitate to the behavior they see in adults, as opposed to what the adults TELL them they should do.

If your child does something you don't like, ask yourself, where did he get that?  When my kids overreact, everyone looks at me!  :)

Going forward, as a coach and dad, when I want my team or child to be tough, I am going to try to be tough. When I want my team to be unselfish, I am going to try to be unselfish. 

Colossians 3:23