When I was growing up there were two things that were mantras for parents of the time, “Do what I tell you to do, not what I do!” and “Children should be seen and not heard!” Both of those mantras did little for building self-worth in the mind and hearts of children. Over the years strides have been made to build better lives for our children, but not much has changed in respect to both of those ideals. And family lives are not better off because of it. As a society we often expect children to do what we as adults won’t do (model healthy and respectful behaviors); and children are not seen because they are isolated in their rooms by video games and computers because too many parents are too busy to be involved in their lives.

Parents are still expecting their children to “do what they’re told,” while they model behavior that is often in total contrast to how they want their children to behave. When will parents understand that children behave by what they hear and see adults model for behavior? When will society understand the same truth? When will the leaders of our government and most prominent religions understand it, as well? Each one of us is responsible for speaking and modeling demeanor we want our most precious children to incorporate into their behavior. As parents, religious leaders, teachers, government leaders, and mentors alike, we must define and model our values so our children will emulate the behaviors and life of purpose we desire for them.

As a society, we’ve become complacent in our media, our spirituality, our workplace, and most importantly, in our family lives. Children are exposed to media that even grown adults might be better off not having thrown in their face; bringing children up without a sense of spirituality is often due to a parent’s own experience or lack of; there is back-biting, sexual improprieties, and general disrespect among peers in the workplace that has a larger impact on our family lives than we might think; and with divorce running rampant, children are exposed to parents who yell, threaten, swear, engage in drug and alcohol abuse, and who all too often resort to physical violence. If we were doing our jobs as parents (and as a society as a whole), do you think we would need to have several months a year set aside for things like “Child Pornography Awareness Month,” “Stop Domestic Violence Awareness Month,” “Help Prevent Child Abuse Awareness Month,” “National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign,” “The Annual Worldwide Campaign to Raise Awareness of HIV and AIDS,” “Pro-Abortion” vs. “Anti-Abortion” campaigns, or a special campaign in Sacramento of a mother’s plea to prevent youth homicide crisis in her community?

Isn’t it time for each of us to live our lives in a way that offers our children a more secure, healthier, fulfilling and purposeful life? As a Certified Life Coach, I help people redirect their lives, find their authentic truth, and build a more sustaining and purposeful existence for themselves and their families. Wouldn’t you want more “Celebratory Moments” than “Awareness Campaigns” in your life? Helping people stretch from the inside out: I coach—YOU win!