The Myth Behind: “Do as I Say, Not as I Do”
Growing up as children there is a good possibility that you were told by adults in your life to “Do as I say, not as I do”. This translates into “listen to what I tell you, but I’m going to do the opposite of that”. This parenting philosophy shares misguided information and creates a high level of confusion for children.
Generally, in children’s mindsets their parents should be the most trusted people in their lives. These are the people who teach us most of our lessons in life; how to handle conflicting situations, how to maintain positive friendships, the importance of sticking with the commitments we have made, the importance of not stealing nor lying, and so on. Our parents are also the ones who we want in our corner standing up for us when we are in the right. But is how our parents respond to a situation the same way they would want us to respond?
If you have ever been to a little league game, I’m sure you have seen, or at least heard stories about how some parents react in the stands to the calls being made by the referees. There is screaming, shouting, and even, at times, physical interactions that lead to some parents being escorted off the premises by local officials. If a child acted in that manner, most parents would be mortified -- correcting their child’s behavior, telling them they can’t act that way, and that there would be negative consequences for their choices and behavior. Children may even be suspended from playing for a few games. By parents acting inappropriately, especially in front of their children, how are children supposed to feel? What are children supposed to think? And what lessons are parents teaching them?
