Modeling Healthy Relationships For Our Children

Modeling Healthy Relationships

For Our Children

Healthy Relationships Help Children Thrive

Children learn how to act, treat others and communicate by listening and observing their parents.

Having a positive behavior in our home will put our children in the position to have great relationships. Having a mindful approach to how we treat our family , friends  and others is one of our children’s greatest life lessons.

Our children are absorbing emotions and behaviors even when we don’t know they are listening.

When children grow up in a loving, warm, and positive home, they are equipped with the tools to develop into balanced, confident people.

Parent Relationships

We teach our children about relationships by our examples of

commitment, teamwork, and forgiveness.  We model love, reactions,  kindness, honesty, communication, disagreements, self-respect , deal breakers and  the way to end an unhealthy relationship.

What our children see, hear, feel and experience will form the person they will become.

Kindness

The way we conduct ourselves teaches our children about kindness.

If we treat others with love and compassion, our children will model this approach.

If we treat others with meanness and judgment, this will transfer poorly to our kids.

Honesty

Honesty is not always easy. Honesty is a key component to clear communication and promotes healthy relationships.

Communication

Direct and clear communication with our friends and family models to children that it is ok to communicate clearly with us and with others. Instead of holding things back, passive-aggressiveness, or complacency, direct communication goes a long way toward demonstrating how a healthy relationship is supposed to work.

Reasonable Disagreement

The first place our children experience conflict is at home. The skills we teach our child in resolving conflicts will be what they will use at school, with peers and throughout their lives. We never stop learning and developing skills.  Childhood is the place where the foundation begins.

Conflict with your child or a family member is a “teachable moment.”  Remember your intention: to arm your child with skills they can use not just at home but with others, whenever they encounter conflict.

It is impossible to go through life without experiencing conflict: in families, friendships, the workplace, basically in every area of life. The important thing is how we handle and resolve our differences.

The Imitators

Children are great imitators of behaviors.  Model the behavior we want to see in our children.  By using patience and understanding our children will have patience and understanding. If they see their parents arguing, calling each other names, putting each other down, or being physically abusive, you will probably see them repeating these negative behaviors.

Deal Breakers

We want our children to understand what kind of behavior is acceptable and what counts as a “deal breaker.” We want our children to respect themselves and be able to set boundaries. Their strength will allow them to walk away from unhealthy relationships.

Self-Respect

An emotionally or physically abusive relationship teaches our children that this is how relationships are supposed to work.  Exhibiting self-respect by getting help to end the abuse or to end the relationship, your children will better understand that this behavior is wrong, hurtful, dangerous and will not be tolerated.

Ending Unhealthy Relationships

There is often sadness, dysfunction, and uncertainty that come with any breakup.

End a relationship with little to no drama and as much grace as you can muster. Your child will not only witness how to end relationships in a healthy manner, but they will also witness resiliency.

Home Sweet Home

The single most important factor for our children to have healthy relationships is their environment. Their HOME SWEET HOME. Home should be our children's safe haven free from negativity. Our children should feel the best about themselves when they are at home.

Our voice of encouragement, love and patience, support and acceptance is the voice we should instill in our children.

Parents shape their child’s self-esteem, confidence, and self-image.

We can improve our relationships with others by leaps and bounds if we become encouragers instead of critics. –Joyce Meyer

As always, the staff at Healthy Kids Care at Sunrise are available for  any questions or concerns.

Sincerely,

Dr. Atousa and Staff