How Role Models Help Children
Children are always watching everything they can see.
Looking at role models in your house, on television, or in church, children soak in information.
As support for children, it is essential to have role models for the mental well-being of children.
Children gain their values from the people around down.
Being a good role model helps children develop good values that will help support the child.
A bad role model would teach the child toxic values.
At the early stage of development, children often don't know what they want to accomplish and when they know what they want, they don't know how to accomplish it.
Role models help children set and achieve goals.
Childhood is a very unique and important stage of our lives with several challenges at each corner.
Role models offer support and encouragement to children.
The role models help children with their support and encouragement.
Find out below how role models help children:
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Role Models Help Form Values
Childhood and adolescence are a phase of life where children form their values.
No child is born with a preset of values.
It is left to role models to help children develop their values.
It is easy to forget the confusion of what is right and wrong, good and bad, during our childhood.
However, if you are conscious to reflect, you might remember how at some point, everything seemed confusing.
It might be easier to understand your values.
Values from children are formed gradually by watching and interacting with other people.
The people that leave long-lasting impressions and influence values most are the biggest role models for children.
If you are a role model, try to share honesty, kindness, and responsibility with the children.
Values are not just from people children interact with physically.
Children gain their values from the devices connected to the internet and books.
Even fictional role models help children form their values.
Role Models Share Constructive Feedback
It is natural for children to err and make mistakes.
In the process of developing themselves, children often have to rely on role models to correct their mistakes.
Role models share their perspectives to allow children to learn from mistakes.
Role models help children by sharing feedback.
Typically, parents are one of the role models that offer the most feedback to children.
Their feedback should be objective and constructive.
The lack of role models or absence of feedback from role models might hamper the growth of children.
Children might repeat prior mistakes made with no knowledge of the mistake.
Feedback from role models is thus essential to the growth and development of children.
When giving feedback to children, try to be kind, clear, and direct in your feedback.
This will allow children to act differently and better in the future.
Oftentimes, feedback is received from personal role models.
Role Models Help Set and Achieve Goals
Children usually do not know what to expect in life.
Role models, on the other hand, to a larger extent, know what to expect in life.
The difference in knowledge allows role models to guide children to their goals.
Parents are role models that generally have more experience in life and understand what is required to achieve specific goals.
It is important to challenge and assist the children at this point.
More specific role models might help set and achieve goals at other stages in a child's development.
Children might search for a personal or distant role model in whatever interests they have, such as movie stars or athletes.
Thus, you might find a child looking up to you for what to do with their life.
Indirectly or directly, you might help this child set their goals.
The lack of role models might lead children to believe their goal is too high or impossible.
Role models should remind children they can do great things whilst managing their goals to a reasonable standard.
Role Models Offer Support and Encouragement
In the formative years of children, there are many barriers children face.
Role models help children by providing support and encouragement across the challenges faced.
A lack of support and encouragement might negatively impact a child's mental well-being.
In a typical household where the most important role models are the parents and caregivers, this support and encouragement are also financial in nature.
At this point, children are unable to cater to their needs themselves, and their parents are responsible for providing support.
Children may also have a support network that includes other relatives, teachers, coaches, and peers.
These people could be role models for children in particular areas and at different times.
This variety of role models is important to offer support for children.
Even though, as a parent, your place as a role model is the most important point of support and encouragement.
Sometimes, it is acceptable and even encouraged to allow a child to find support from other role models.
Role Models Inspire Children
At their formative years, children sometimes get inspired by their role models.
These could be distant role models like athletes or musicians.
It could also be by their parents.
Most children, they find some person to aspire to.
Be it philosophers, scientists, or painters. This is important because sometimes, this determines what children want to become.
The interest might be short-lived for another interest.
However, the interest could also turn into a career.
Role models expose children to a number of careers and sometimes inspire children.
These role models don't just inspire the children, the role models also show children how to be like them.
A child that wants to become an astronaut will study astronauts.
The child might select the schools the astronaut went to.
Role models also motivate children with their journeys.
The role models function as a template and mirror for children to see themselves.
Role models help children dream.
Conclusion
A significant part of the mental well-being of children is reliant on the help role models provide children.
Role models offer safe support for children to navigate their formative years.
models help form values, role models share constructive feedback, role models help set and achieve goals, role models offer support and encouragement, and role models inspire children.
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