It is probably fair to say that most adults know this old adage. The problem is – kids do not! And more importantly, 
kids do what their parents do more than what their parents say. That is right: you have your very own personal mini-me or maybe even a few of them. Although every kid is different, most do mimic the behaviour of their parents.
Why is it important to recognise this fact? It is important because you will need to be mindful of your actions as you will soon seem them reflected through your children.
For example, have you ever seen a kid being disrespectful to the family nanny or a babysitter at the park? Worse yet, have you seen your kid behaving this way? If so, have you considered where they learned that this type of behaviour? Yep, you guessed it; the kids learned to act that way from adults.
The nanny or a frequent babysitter is like a member of the family. Would you treat any other member of the family disrespectfully? The answer to that should be no! And so you should also treat your nanny and babysitters with respect and kindness.
What does that mean? Treating someone with respect and kindness means:
- listening and acknowledging
- treating them with dignity
- not raising your voice or displacing your frustration for someone else onto them
- using good manners (please, thank you)
- Respecting privacy and personal time
- Keeping commitments
- And probably many more things you already know!
To keep it simple – remember this old saying: Treat others as you would be to be treated. If you can pass this test every time, you will probably be doing pretty well.
Leading by example is important not only in formal leadership roles at work or in community organisations. Leading by example is also critical at home, for the most important audience there is: your family.
If you are looking for a nanny or a babysitter or any kind of caregiver, visit www.SOSsitter.ca to find great people near you.