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• Parenting

Leading By Example

June 18, 2025

As parents, we often become detectives—trying to understand how our children feel and encouraging them to open up. We ask thoughtful questions, read stories about emotions, and hope they’ll share more than just a one-word answer.

But one powerful and often overlooked tool is modeling. Our children learn from watching us every day—how we treat others, handle stress, and talk about our emotions. If we want them to express their feelings, we need to show them how.

I was recently reminded of this in my own life. I found myself thinking about how I do not verbalize my own feelings as often as I should. How could I expect the same from my child if I am not modeling it myself? 

That doesn’t mean burdening children with adult problems, but rather sharing in ways they can understand. For example, sharing with them about your work day. Maybe you are feeling tired because of a heavy work load that week. It’s not complaining- it’s modeling healthy expression. 

When we express emotions in healthy, age-appropriate ways, we teach our kids that it’s okay to feel, and even more, it’s okay to talk about it.

Let’s show them the power of emotional honesty—by living it ourselves.