Articles about Parenting
Following in your footsteps
Traits They Should Not Follow

You have some negative traits. Should you engender them to your children?

There are two possibilities.

If the traits are hereditary, then you may want to control or contain them, so that your children do not suffer. In other words, it is your job to limit and control the damage as much as possible.

If the limitation or problem is environmental it can be controlled so that it will not be passed on.

Of course, there may be cases in which you are aware of a negative trait, but you are limited in how to restrict or control it, successfully.

In this case you may consider leveling with your children. Explain to them that they may see you do something but you would prefer that they refrain from doing it. Perhaps you can make a joke out of "do as I say not as I do." Explain that people have faults and limitations, but that you want your children to be better than you are, and to avoid your own limitations.

A good level of communication with your children may help them accept this situation, and they may refrain from doing something which they know is wrong.

If you have succeeded in training them in this way, then you may have accomplished two great things: