Member-only story
Fostering our future leaders
“Our greatest natural resource is the minds of our children.”
- Walt Disney
Whitney Houston may have said it best when she sang, “I believe the children are our future. Teach them well and let them lead the way. Show them all the beauty they possess inside.” That was from her 1986 song, “Greatest Love of All.” It’s a great reminder to us adults about the importance of raising children and teaching them to become responsible adults who will eventually be taking care of us. This is not just a message for parents, but also for teachers, coaches, aunts, uncles, neighbors and pretty much any adult who interacts with children.
Children look to their elders for examples on how to act and treat others. While much of a child’s upbringing will come from their parents or whoever helped in raising them, children are sponges, and will take in whatever they are exposed to while developing into adults. Kids tend to incorporate a “monkey see, monkey do” mentality, which is how they pick up a lot of their mannerisms and behavior patterns. This is why parents can be weary of allowing their children to hang out with friends who may not be the best influence on their peers.
Modeling appropriate behavior in front of children is imperative if we want to make sure we are doing our part to help raise a generation who will grow up to take…
