learning by example

Instead of just telling your son what to do, show him. Children are incredibly observant and often learn more from what they see their parents doing than from what they hear them say.

Here’s what that means in practice:

• Want your son to pray? Let him see you praying. He’ll be more likely to imitate your actions.
• Want him to stop being angry or irritable? You’ll need to learn calmness yourself so he can model that behavior.
• Want him to respect elders? Treat others with respect, especially in his presence.
• Want him to learn generosity and kindness? He needs to witness these qualities in you.

The Power of Observation

There’s a reason this method works. As the text mentions, scientists conducted an experiment where children watched videos of other children interacting with a doll. One video showed aggressive behavior, while the other showed gentle and kind behavior. Afterward, when the children were given a doll, they treated it in the same way they had seen in the video. This demonstrates how profoundly children are influenced by observing others.

You can keep advising your son, but if your actions don’t align with your words, he might listen once or twice, but it won’t stick. Education by example is the key.