Page 92 - The Intentional Parent

There isn’t really all that much more to communicate to you about “observational learning,” because it is just about as simple as it sounds.
Your ability to influence your child to behave in ways that are consistent with your best values and features diminishe ssomewhat as the teen years approach and children feel the need to develop their own identities. In healthy families, while teens might rebel, research shows that they credit and appreciate the influence of their parents.
In the “Turning Intention Into Action” section I will offer just a few tips to help you understand how to make your efforts at being a good model pay off.
The Intentions
I will be a healthy model for leadership and problem solving.
I will strive to place my children in the company of other good models for social and emotional behavior.
I realize that “Do as I say, not as I do,” is not an effective message for influencing my child’s behavior.
I understand that my negative patterns of behavior might be a stronger influence on my child than the positives I try to put out there, because negative behavior often gets more attention.
When I do become a negative model for behavior such as anger and poor self control, I can always model the behavior of apology and striving for self improvement.
The Intentional Parent by Peter J. Favaro, Ph.D. 92