A simple rule
However, this is no cause for giving up. This does not mean that we should stop trying to improve our children’s habits, style of working, lifestyle etc. The objective of getting children to listen to our advice can still be achieved, but the approach should be different. Follow a simple rule in a couple of instances and then see the difference for yourself.

Children are prone to close their ears to advice; it is almost a reflex action. However, remember they are always watching you and are very receptive to the manner in which you behave and function. Accept the fact that you are the living examples that they try to emulate. The cardinal rule every parent and teacher needs to follow - Do not tell them what to do, show them. Let them see you doing it and in a short while you will see them doing it.

Getting children to clean up after themselves is a chore, getting them to study is if anything a bigger chore and getting them to unhook themselves from the television and do something useful is an almost impossible task. However, all this can be done in small doses, a little step at a time, the only compulsory factor being that the parent shows them the way. A child is bound to emulate a parent who considers a task as finished only when all the things related to the task are put away in their proper places. There is your simple formula to an organized, clean home. 

Want them to study? Pick up a book yourself, not a novel however. Sit beside them and read. Soon the whole family will be engaged in reading something useful. However, be careful to do this in short spells. You may be able to read a book on plant life for two hours but your child may not be able to concentrate for that long. Take a break as soon as concentration wavers. Branch out into some other activity.

Want them to head for a real library with real books instead of the video library they generally go to? Ask them to accompany you to the library where you pick a book for yourself, read it and share your thoughts with them. It won’t take long for them to ask for a book for themselves. I tried out this rule with swimming. Both my children were terrified of water. Attempts to get them to learn how to swim under a coach failed miserably, with their fear only increasing. Well, I decided to learn first. All was silent on the topic of swimming for a month. Then when I took them to the pool and demonstrated my new skill, it was a matter of hardly a week before they were swimming like fishes.

Children do emulate their parents and very often go on to excel in certain fields where their talents and aptitudes are best utilized. We as parents need to have the right attitude towards what and how we want our children to do. Some tasks may prove physically daunting for parents, in which case moral support and a clear message of “I am there with you always” can be a good substitute.