The Importance of Role Modelling – Interpersonal Interaction with Your Child

Children, especially younger children, are always picking up on what others say and do. It is all part of the learning process, so we must be aware of this with what we, as adults, do. We all get frustrated from time to time, but we need to learn to control what we say and do especially in front of children. A phrase that we often use is “live and lead by example”, and this is particularly relevant when it comes to our child’s development. Here at Kidz Village, we often talk to parents about the importance of explaining things in a manner that their child would understand. Explaining things clearly and telling your child why you are making certain decisions is crucial. Although they may not fully understand at first, they will quickly start to pick up on the reasons why you do things and most importantly, they will begin to understand the difference between right and wrong. Why are role models important? Every parent wants their child to be happy, respectful and most importantly, healthy. It is often something that we are judged upon as parents but merely telling a child what to do and hoping to teach them these vital character traits will almost inevitably be ineffective. These are things that your child actually needs to experience and see with their own eyes. To a large degree, these qualities are things that they need to learn from their parents, and this is why good role models are so crucial in a child’s development. After all, what they learn as a child will stay with them for a lifetime. What makes a good role model for children? In today’s world, we all seem to have less quality time to spend with those we love. While modern technology, in many ways, brings us closer together, in other ways, it drives a wedge between us. When we come home from work, we are often tired and want some time to relax “me time” as it is often referred. It is easy to pass our children an iPad or phone to play games, but is this teaching them anything? In reality, they will gain something, but perhaps not we want, it is far more important to experience real-life events rather than view them through a lens. There are four key areas where a parent should encourage a child to make the right choices that will help them to become “good human beings”. These are behaviour, social skills, healthy lifestyle and the importance of learning. If you can have a positive influence on your child in each of these areas, then you will be a good role model for your children. How does, being a positive role model impact on a child’s behaviour? We all want our children to grow up knowing right from wrong, but if we, as parents don’t behave appropriately, it is tough for children to learn. When we are polite, courteous and helpful with others, our children will witness this and copy our behaviour. They will understand that this is the right thing to do, and it will reinforce what we say. They will see that what we say is replicated in our actions. If, on the other hand, we tell our children not to do something, and then we do it ourselves, it sends out very confusing signals and the child will be uncertain what is right. An example that is commonly used is when a child in a car shouts “get out of my way!”, only for the parent to say it’s not the right thing to say. The child then points out that this is what the parent says every day. It is why being a positive role model in our actions is more important than what we say when it comes to our children’s behaviour. Teaching Social Skills How we interact with others is something that is vital and showing our children is crucial. We should show them how to share and how to talk to other people. It is very much connected with behaviour but it is about having a deeper understanding and appreciation of others and how our actions impact on them. If children see us being friendly with others, they will do the same, which will make their interactions in adulthood easier. We want to develop confident children that know how to treat and respect others. Why is a healthy lifestyle important? It is often something that goes overlooked, but childhood obesity is becoming a serious problem and a lot of this comes from parents not feeding their children the right food. If we always give them junk food or microwave meals they will think that this is normal. Again, if as a parent, we eat this type of food it portraits an unhealthy image. Exercise is equally essential, and we don’t want to encourage our children to lead sedentary lives. It goes back to the concept of giving our children an iPad to play games or watch movies as it is an easy option. We should be taking children out and showing them things, things that they actually see for themselves, such as walks in the park or visits to the zoo. By understanding things for themselves, they will develop an interest and learn to ask questions. The importance of learning Children should never be put under pressure to learn and being happy and healthy is far more crucial, but the importance of learning should never be overlooked. It doesn’t necessarily mean in terms of academic achievement as not everyone can be a genius; it is about learning life skills and not being frightened to ask questions. Taking the time to read books to children as well as showing them how to do things is crucial. It is a huge factor in being a role model, and we all want our children to look up to us! Did you find our article interesting? We hope that this article illustrated the importance

10 ways to keep your child safe from the flu

It is around this time of year when the flu is most prevalent. The flu should not be mistaken for a common cold, although many of the symptoms are very similar. Flu or influenza has more severe symptoms that tend to come on suddenly and often include a high fever and/or the chills (a feeling of hot and then cold) as well as being accompanied by muscle or body aches. In some people, particularly children, vomiting and diarrhoea is also displayed. So, how can you help your child to avoid this unpleasant condition? 1. Wash hands thoroughly At Kidz Village, we always encourage children to wash their hands thoroughly, but this is a practice that they must continue at other times. It is essential to use warm water and preferably antibacterial soap. You should carefully work between the fingers and around the nails working down the wrist. The process should take a minimum of 20 seconds with the soap washed off with clean, warm water. Ideally, hands should be dried using an electric hand dryer or paper tissue, not a towel used by others. Alternatively, you could use alcohol-based hand sanitizers. 2. Eat a healthy diet Eating a healthy diet is something that we should all try to do, but it is even more important with children. Foods which are high in vitamins and minerals, particularly vitamin C will help to develop your child’s immune system. Typically these vitamins and minerals come from fresh fruit and vegetables. Often to make this more tempting to children, it is described as “eating the rainbow” as the bright colours are appealing to younger children. 3. Stay well hydrated We must always stay well hydrated as it will help to ward off all types of sickness and disease. It is particularly important in a hot climate so being aware of how much your child has had to drink is crucial. If your child is experiencing the symptoms of flu, particularly a fever, sickness or diarrhoea, it may be an idea to speak to your doctor or pharmacist about including electrolytes in their drinks. 4. Get a flu vaccination Of course, one of the best ways to protect your child from influenza is by getting a flu jab. As the strain of flu tends to vary from year to year, the vaccination would need to be done on an annual basis. Your child will NOT develop the flu after getting the vaccination, although they may get a mild fever for around 24-hours which is nothing to be overly concerned about. It should be stressed that side effects are mild and far less severe than contracting the illness itself. 5. Sneeze or cough into a tissue and dispose of it All parents must consider the wellbeing of other children so they should teach their child the importance of coughing or sneezing into a tissue. The tissue should be disposed of afterwards, and a fresh one used is necessary. Covering your mouth when sneezing or coughing is one of the best methods of slowing the spread of the virus. 6. Avoid touching your face Children will always touch and play with anything that they can get their hands on! Even with the frequent, thorough washing of their hands, it is still possible for viruses and bacteria to be prevalent. It is therefore essential that they avoid touching their face, particularly the mouth, nose and eyes to reduce the chances of contracting the virus. It is something that should not be seen as a substitute for washing hands thoroughly.     7. Avoid high-risk places If the infection does reach dangerous levels, you should then exercise caution when visiting sites which could be perceived as “high-risk”. In Bangkok, this could be places such as the Skytrain, MRT or other confined spaces. It is impossible to eliminate all risk but reducing your levels of exposure in areas where there is likely to be crowds of people will undoubtedly help. 8. Keep off school if displaying the symptoms  Protecting others children and reducing the spread of the virus is your responsibility as a parent. While this isn’t always possible as the symptoms can develop suddenly throughout the day if your child is displaying signs, you should keep them off school to prevent further transmission. We appreciate that this may be inconvenient, but it is beneficial for everyone in the longer term. Obviously, the school should be informed of your decision, so they are aware of the situation and can assess how many kids are affected. 9. See a doctor if your child develops symptoms If your child is displaying symptoms, you should consult with your doctor or pharmacist. They will be able to make suggestions regarding how you can help to alleviate the discomfort and make everything more bearable. If your child is suffering from sickness and diarrhoea, they may need to be put onto a saline drip for a few hours to keep them hydrated. It is rare for children to need to be admitted to hospital with influenza.   10. Treat with antiviral medication NOT antibiotics The flu is a virus and therefore will be unresponsive to antibiotics and indeed, taking them may leave your child resistant to some bacterial infections in the future. Your pharmacist will be able to recommend medications that are appropriate children and what dosage they should be given depending on their age. You must follow the advice of the pharmacist or the instructions on included with the medication. Some adult formulas may be harmful to children. Did you find our article interesting? We hope that you found this article informative and that it highlighted something of the things that you can do to protect your child from the flu. Here at Kidz Village, our acclaimed International School in Bangkok strives to provide the ideal environment to promote learning. For more information, please call us on +66 2888 3337 and we will be happy to answer any questions that you may have.