Teach your children well.

I'm going to get a little preachy tonight, but at least I'll be brief.

We all know we are modeling for our children.  How we behave is how we best express that we want them to behave. "Do as I say and not as I do," doesn't work as well as follow the leader.

Because our children model us, think about your life.  Are you living the life you want your children to live?  Why would you expect them to live any other way?  It was good enough for you.

Have a lot of drama?  Expect drama centered kids.  Hate your spouse?  Expect your daugher to find a man just like the one who married dear old mom.  Tolerate your spouse at best?  Expect your son to find a woman he can passibly live with.  No love lost there. 

I find it much more fulfilling, rewarding and positively enabling, to live the life you want your kids to emulate.  They're going to use you as a standard anyway.  You might as well make sure it is a good one.

Michael Manely