If you have a child or teen in your life there’s a good chance that you are their SUPERHERO – living right here in the Lamoille Valley! Granted, it might not be like living next door to the Incredibles, but you are being watched and looked up to! Kids and teens naturally watch and want to be like their loved ones – whether a parent, sibling, neighbor, or friend. My big brother is seven years older than I am and I remember being in awe of him and his friends. (That’s right… teens and kids can be “supers” too!)
Superheros aren’t perfect… and I’m guessing that you’re not either. This fact does not stop you from being SUPER in the eyes of the youth in your life. That’s the great thing about kids… they love us in spite of our flaws and they want to be like us… sometimes even continuing our flaws and bad habits. Realizing this, it may be worth taking a quick scan of our lives to see what they may be picking up on.
I once had a pastor who said, “Eat the meat, and spit out the bones.” Basically keep the good about a teaching or situation and let go of the bad. Sometimes kids aren’t able to make this distinction and take it all.
I’m currently working with school nurses on a prescription drug safety project. The conversations have been amazing and I’m excited for the connections that are being made and how they’ll inform our upcoming work. In one conversation a nurse shared this story: She was teaching about the physical dangers of smoking cigarettes with a class. One of the students spoke up and said that even though he knew the risks of smoking, he was going to do it anyway as he wanted to be like his Dad. Kids often don’t see our flaws as flaws.
So take a moment to increase your superpowers!
Think about the messages you may be sending that may not be empowering your mini-me … This is important in all areas of our lives, but especially important with regard to our attitudes and actions around fitness and substance use.
Some areas to consider:
How and where do we spend our free time? Are we active?
Is there alcohol at every fun event we attend with our children? This sends the unintentional message that for us to have fun there has to be beer, wine, or liquor. Mix it up – have some fun friend gatherings that are purposefully alcohol free.
What do we do to relax or de-stress? Go for a walk, lounge in front of the television, take deep breaths, have a glass of wine, read…?
What do we do when we have a headache or are sick? Do we go straight to medicines or try natural approaches to wellness such as drinking a glass of water, eating some protein, or getting some rest?
Honestly, at 39, I still have superheros in my life, but I realize that I’m one too… and I’ll keep making changes to be the best superhero I can be.