The BEST AND THE ONLY WAY to teach a child is to set an EXAMPLE .

“Children are like wet cement , whatever falls on them makes an Impression.”

This is a very famous quote which we often come across but do we really understand it well. If we do then why do we set wrong examples for kids everyday for them to watch and imitate the same.
"If there is anything that we wish to change in the child, we should first examine it and see whether it is not something that could better be changed in ourselves" - C. G. Jung
If we want to teach and inculcate good habits, behaviors, values, ethics and manners in our kids then why do we always forget that it is us who have to first do the same. Children in their early years are excellent observers and they try to imitate each and every thing they see around them. If you smile in front of a kid then it is inevitable that you will get a smile back.

We have to be really cautious that we do not teach them wrong things by setting up a wrong example. We often get angry with the kids when they start telling lies to us but in this course we forget that we only taught them to lie when they were young and we told them various small lies which were quite insignificant at that time. But the realization that those small and unimportant lies will have a profound effect on the child’s future , this we are unable to see. Often the small unnoticeable things are neglected by us which really effect a child’s overall personality.

If for example, you want your child to eat green leafy vegetables and he/she doesn’t like eating it , so what do you do? Well you bribe the child that if he eats it then you will go to the park with him/her in the evening. The child becomes happy and your trick works. He eats the vegetable. Then in the evening the child was all excited to go to the park but then you remembered that you have to go to meet your friend and so turns off the child’s excitation by saying to him that you will go tomorrow with him for sure.
Now here you have taught three wrong lessons to him with this small instance ie.
First of all to teach him giving bribes by telling him to eat vegetables in return for going to park and thus making him realize that there are conditions joined with what he wants .
Second teaching him to break his commitments and that promises are not important by not going with him to the park.
And lastly the act of procrastination by promising him again to go the next day.

You might be thinking what this small instance have a effect in the long run but let me remind you that children are very quick learners and will definitely remember these instances in future as well and then will act in the same way while dealing with others and thus will have a lasting effect on their overall personality and values system. So we have to be really cautious about what we do , say and how we act with them.

Also remember one golden rule that - while teaching a child anything, do not insult him/her. No reprimands in public or in the presence of friends. Children are entitled to their dignity too. If a mistake has been made, wait until you are alone with the child and then gently correct him/her.
Teach him the importance of giving respect to others by giving the same to him. But teaching by example goes beyond how we treat our children. It has to do with how we treat others as adults, how we treat and talk about others outside the family. It has to do with how we lead our lives. Think back to how your own parents influenced your moral development by the examples they set.

You can demonstrate that it is much more fun to share joys and toys, by sharing what you treasure. You can train a child to show respect to elders by treating your own elders with the utmost respect. You can help a child imbibe the value of education by continuing your own learning process, or taking up some course of study.
Building up ‘good qualities’ is never easy. But the best, and perhaps the only, way to teach a child anything is to set an example.

When a child is born , he is innocent, loving, affectionate, courteous, calm, forgiving, confident ,selfless, serene and willing to help everyone but we hamper his these in born qualities by doing wrong cruel things in front of him and setting up wrong examples. But now it is high time and we have to change NOW . For the time is Now And only NOW !!