As a mom, you immediately become all these things that you never imagined you could be – from mending a boo boo to preparing meals in the spur of the moment – personally for me, being a teacher to my son is one of the most important roles thus far.
When I learned that I was pregnant with my first child, anxiety kicked in and all these questions filled in my head, am I going to be a good mother? will I be a positive role model?, so when I learned that I was having a boy, yes I still felt the stress of becoming a mom, but knowing I was going to have to teach my son to become someone’s knight in shining armor was a task that I was not going to take lightly and I was up for the challenge. When I finally uttered the words “I am a Mother” out loud was the day that I vowed, with the help of his father, to making sure that we as parents use words of encouragement, positivity and confidence at home so that our son can one day pass along the very same voice to his own family.
Now with my son almost turning two and each day being an adventure, I am finding ways through my voice to raise a caring, well-mannered, respectable boy. By communicating words of encouragement and wisdom, my son has begun the process of demonstrating those positive traits. Saying please and thank you are just a few words that are used in our daily conversations. Also, by pointing out daddy’s positive qualities like, see how daddy opens the door for mommy? or daddy brought mommy some flowers are just a few other things I hear myself saying to my impressionable son. By him hearing my voice and looking at the way my mouth moves in saying the words, he too has found his own voice.
source: iStockophoto
However, sometimes as a mom, its so easy to forget when those little eyes and ears are listening to grown up conversations and witnessing how we speak towards other grown ups. So as mom, we must realize how important we are as role models. Listen to yourself when speaking with other grown ups, use respectful and caring words and a tone that does not sound offensive. With TV and computers being so readily available to our kids, we must first teach them what’s important and communicate to them on a daily basis, by asking them how their day was or asking them to talk about their friends are just a few ways to get your child to find confidence in speaking out in the world.
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Disclosure: Compensation was provided by Crest & Oral-B via Glam Media however, the opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of Crest and Oral-B.
About the Crest & Oral-B Life Opens Up Project:
Your mouth is more than just teeth and gums, it’s your most important feature when it comes to expressing yourself and engaging with the world. The Crest & Oral-B Life Opens Up Project will highlight individual stories that showcase how a healthy mouth has played a role in opening up to life and to the world. www.LifeOpensUpProject.com
