Imitation is the best form of flattery!

Indeed it is when you see your reflection in your children when they behave just like you. Isn’t it endearing to see your kid act just like you do, the way you eat, sleep, laugh, walk, and… talk!

How do you feel when your child’s style of talking resembles yours? You feel proud that he/she is my son/daughter. I feel so happy when one of my friends or family compliments me saying, ‘Wow, Roohi, your son speaks exactly like you.”

But what if your kid says something that you wouldn’t expect him/her to? Words than can embarrass you no end! This happens without fail; after all, kids learn through imitation. For most of their waking moments, they see us and observe our actions minutely. We may not realize this till we see them behaving the way we do. Sometimes this creates hilarious situations, while at others, it may leave us mortified.

How do we control what we say and how we act…

-If you are angry, and hurtful words are waiting to gush forth, bite your lips, literally, and look at the innocent face of your child, smile at him/her

-Think what you would (or wouldn’t) want your child to hear, rather than what you want to say

-Visualize how you felt when your parents fought or shouted at each other, weren’t you left squirming?

-Think twice before you complain about your friends and neighbors, be warned, someone is hearing and watching you closely

-Wait till your child is asleep before discussing important family matters, allocate time for this

-The time you spend with or around your children are precious, try not to discuss anything else during this time

It may not always be easy to be careful but parenting is mostly trial and error, and there are no set rules to be a great parent, just a loving and smart one.


“Children have never been very good at listening to their elders, but they have never failed to imitate them.”
― James Baldwin