Sometimes I wonder what I am doing right as a parent. I think we are all inundated by way too much information. It is easy to get caught up in the swirl. Something that I try to remember is that it is more important to show your kids how you want them to act or behave by your actions and behaviors over just telling them.

For example, I could tell my boys it’s important to eat right but if I say it while I am stuffing a doughnut down my throat, are they going to believe me? Don’t worry, I haven’t done that, but I thought it would be a nice visual for you.

I am a runner, and I try to show them how much I like it and how much I value physical health by going on runs. I also have had them run with me. They know by watching me sweating and working hard that it matters to me. I don’t have to try to lecture them on it.

While it is obviously important to model the behavior you want to see from your kids, I think it is also important to remember that it is okay for us to make mistakes. I am trying to get better at communicating when I haven’t said or did something I have regretted. If I want my kids to be okay with making mistakes, I have to be okay with myself making mistakes.

Life is all about learning, right? We are all learning to be better versions of ourselves. Adults have just had more years of practice compared to our kids. The more we take risks and step out of our own comfort zones, the more our kids will see that they should be doing it as well.