More is Caught Than Taught

I was recently running with a good friend of mine (who is also the mother of a college student and a high school student).  We were talking about my boys and how C is incredibly verbal and T is really coordinated/athletic and so on.

Of course I think that C is also active and T is also intelligent, but she reminded me of some good advice:

"More is caught than taught."  

In the context of the conversation, she was telling me to be careful about how I "label" my children.  She and I already have a close relationship where this kind of advice is appropriate.  She knows that I think that they are both amazing.  She also knows that they each have their own personalities and talents that should be showcased, but her advice was still poignant.  

Working with students and then meeting their parents is always a lot of fun to me.  Just today (after having a conference with a student's mom) I watched the student use the same exact mannerisms as I had seen in her mom earlier in the week.  It was dead on.  

I seriously doubt that the mom ever sat down and said, "now when you say this, put your eyebrows up like so."  But she learned it anyway.  

This Tampa Bay Mom's Blog post (particularly the last paragraph, not by me 308) is a lot like this.  When we're teaching our children how to do life, we aren't necessarily (yes, sometimes, but not always) sitting them down to talk about it.  We are modeling life.  

How we treat people, respond to crisis, respond to blessings, win, lose, pray, love our family members, give, react to bad drivers, carry ourselves, our self image, maintain eating and exercise lifestyles, how we treat the opposite gender.  All of these traits, and more, are caught, not (necessarily) taught.  

These sweet children are watching us.  Every day.  They are truly soaking us in.  While we're teaching them, they are also teaching us so much about life.  

I am so thankful for good advice and friends who are willing to give it.  (309) I am not telling you this today as a way to tell you how to parent, or even how to act in front of other people's children.  I am just sharing the recent aha moment that I had in my parenting, perhaps it can be an aha moment for you too.  

And boy am I thankful for aha moments. (310)