Do Parents' Behaviors Affect Their Children?

Trials and Stressful Situations

• How you handle trials and stressful situations greatly affects your children because they have sensitivity to what goes on in the family. According to a March 2007 Psych Central online article, children whose families endure ongoing stress have more illnesses than other children because chronic stress can affect their immune systems. All families go through trials at times, but how you handle the situation may help prevent problems with your children. Sometimes kids don't need to know about everything that's happening. It may help if you strive to smile and maintain a positive attitude about what's going right in the family rather than focusing on the negative.

Emotions

• Emotions such as anger, sadness or happiness can also affect children and other people who live in the same household. Children might begin mimicking some of the same emotions that parents display, especially if they see the same behavior often. A parent's unhappiness can transfer to a child, so it's vital to reflect good feelings because your child looks to you as a mirror for his own feelings.

Gossip

• A gossiping parent can soon create a child who spreads rumors like the plague. Some children like to listen to their parents talk and might even try to get snippets of information from parents' phone calls. Gossiping about certain people may cause your children to show little respect toward those people. Avoid this problem by trying not to gossip or even volunteer information that your children shouldn't know.

Respect

• Teach your children respect by showing them respect continually. A January 2010 "Psychology Today" article states that respect starts in the home and recommends treating your children as equals. Talk to your kids, value their opinions and listen to them while also giving them healthy boundaries and rules. You can have respect for your children while also maintaining an orderly household.