The Daily Groove - Scott Noelle.

THE DAILY GROOVE ~ by Scott Noelle
www.enjoyparenting.com/dailygroove


:: Invisible Teaching ::
The problem with teaching children *explicitly* is
that we are rarely aware of what we are teaching
them *implicitly*.
For example, if you tell your children to say
"thank you," the implicit lesson is that expressing
gratitude is something they *should* do whether they
feel like it or not -- not something that comes
naturally.
Better to say "thank you" yourself -- to model the
appropriate behavior *joyfully*. Joy is attractive
and, eventually, they'll want in on the fun!
Your child doesn't internalize what you *say* as
much as the *energy* with which you say it. Pay
close attention to how you feel and you'll notice
that teaching often carries a subtle vibe that
feels "yucky."
So when you must teach explicitly, clean up your
energy first. Otherwise you might be teaching the
wrong lesson!
When you teach by example, you are following the
advice of Gandhi who said, "you must BE the change
you wish to see..."
http://dailygroove.net/invisible-teaching