As we raise our children, we often search for strong role models to include in their lives. Role models can be parents, friends, family, religious leaders, teachers, famous figure heads and celebrities. Each role model within a children’s life has influence over who they will become over time. While some role models have direct influence over our children, others influence through example. Many parents around the world are excited about the inauguration of Barack Obama as President of the United States. How can this historic event and this historic person be a role model for your family?
With the historic presidential inauguration recently behind our nation, what learning opportunities are there to share with our children? After all, Barack Obama is the first African American President of the United States. And, he is one of the youngest, presidents at the age of 47.
Age is Not Always Relevant
Many children or adolescents get frustrated as they mature with comments such as, ‘you are too young’ to do……While there are certainly age requirements and suggestions for many important milestones within a child’s or a young adults life, there should also be limitless options. For example, what if your child has an above average IQ and has the opportunity to move ahead a grade in school or to attend a gifted and talented program. This accomplishment is not related to age, it is offered because your child has earned the opportunity.
What about influencing others; is there an age requirement for that? As children age, they will be presented with a variety of informal or formal leadership opportunities. Leading a school project, becoming captain of the basketball team or even capturing the lead in a school play are all examples of leadership. The ability for Obama to capture a formal leadership position at such a young age offers encouragement for all children who would like to make a difference now in their lives as well as in their future.
Color Blind
Racism as well as inequality still remains in almost every culture around the world. While many groups struggle to gain equality, when someone of color achieves such a high accomplishment, it creates hope for all other members of that particular race. Obama becoming elected and inaugurated as the President of the United States offers hope for not only every other African American in the world, but to all other minority races. It has even offered hope to women who one day seek the opportunity to seize a powerful leadership position.
Becoming the first African American president has now paved the way for others to follow. Encourage your children than anything is possible! Anything at all. Use Obama’s story as well as others of accomplishment as examples for your children that they can achieve anything that they set their minds to.

You want your child to have plenty of friends. You also want them to have good friends, who help them grow and make their lives richer! You want them to treat their friends with respect, and be respected by their friends as well.

Well, you need to make sure you are setting the right example in the friends you surround yourself with!  You expose your children to the people and relationships you have in your own life, so making sure you are a good role model when it comes to friendship is important.

Look at your own circle of friends. Is there one who always cancels that lunch date without notice, or expects you to be the one who picks up the tab or provides the ride? Or maybe you have a friend who only wants you as a shoulder to cry on, and is too wrapped up in themselves to see that maybe sometimes you could use one too.

Your child can definitely pick up on stuff like that!  Think about it - you wouldn’t want them playing with a child that never lets them go first, or insists that they always have to be the villain and never the hero. You want friends for your child that will make their lives better, and the friendship should always go in both directions!

You can help your child learn about friendship by letting them know why you like this friend so much - or why you stopped hanging out with that one. (Of course, be careful; it could be embarrassing to run into them at the store and have your child blurt out “Mommy stopped going out with you because you are always cranky!”)

You can point out the value of good friends by saying, “I like Jenny as a friend because she is patient. I am not so patient, so it helps me to have a friend to remind me how!” This will show your kids that friends can help and teach each other, and make up for each others weaknesses.

Hopefully you and your child will always be surrounded by good, strong friends!