As parents, we always want to be able to raise confident, happy and fulfilled kids. We want them to have a beautiful future where they are able to share and love and are loved in return. As partners in raising and molding them, we have the power to provide them opportunities to learn what is right and to build a character that will prepare them for the future.

Children learn a lot from mirroring. They are very good in observing the ways of those they look up to and most often than not, children idolize no other but us, their parents. I have noticed that my sons idolize their father so much. They want to dress up just like their dad, choose the things that their dad would choose. They would always say “look at me, I’m just like daddy”. My husband finds this very touching, but he also knows the greater challenge that comes with this. There’s a pressure on him now to demonstrate the best behavior since our kids really look up to him.

However, we realized how we are going to inevitably fall short of this challenge. We figured out that letting our children see our imperfections is something that is not embarrassing. We just need to have the courage to admit to them that what we did was wrong and to explain to them why it was wrong. We should also tell them the things we should have done instead.

Building up the characters of our children and refraining from raising a bunch of spoiled brats does take a lot of work and requires a lot of effort. It entails not only the typical disciplining that we too have experienced from our very own parents—time outs and consequences. We must more so guard ourselves and make sure that we are on the right track and in the right spirit as we strive to be the best parents we can possibly be.