Limitless Possibilities: 3 Ways to Lead By Example for Your Kids

Reader Contribution by Allison Wilkinson
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When it comes to teaching children, leading by example is critical. As a parent, one of your main responsibilities is to teach your child how to become a caring and kind, self-sufficient adult. In order to do this, you need to hold a mirror up to yourself and really see what behaviors and traits you want your child to adopt. Here are three things you can do to set a great example for your kids and show them that anything is possible with some hard work.

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Never Stop Learning

The Aristotle quote is true. The more that you know, the more you realize you don’t know, but that’s all the more reason seek new knowledge in any way that you can. A commitment to learning will not only help you continue to expand your mind and grow intellectually, but it is also great exercise for your brain. By learning new things frequently, you can keep your mind sharp and nimble as you age, and even possibly counteract the natural slowing of your brain’s processing speed over time.

By setting the example for your kids that learning new things is as a lifelong experience, you can show your kind the value of learning a variety of skills and the overall value of education. This can help strengthen your child’s commitment to his or her own studies from childhood through adulthood.

To put this into practice, all you have to do is devote some time to learning about a new subject or a new skill. It can be as simple as learning a new hobby like how to knit or as complex as learning another language. You can take classes at a local college or university or simply teach yourself by trial and error after watching a few YouTube tutorials. Do whatever works best for your learning style and busy schedule. It doesn’t matter how you approach learning new things, the most important part is simply doing the work and challenging yourself.

Run Your Own Business

Another way that you can help your child realize their limitless potential is by running your own business. While these two subjects may seem unrelated, they are not. The fact is that by being exposed to business owners and the challenges and triumphs that come with having your own business, your child can cement the understanding that they can do anything they set their mind to as long as they are diligent and determined.

So if you have always wanted to start your own company, do it. Be as transparent as possible to show your child an age-appropriate, realistic perspective of the work that goes into getting a business off the ground. You could even follow a more established framework and start your own franchise or network marketing business with a company like Amway.

See the World

Travel is the ultimate education. By exploring the world, you can step outside of your comfort zone and learn how to thrive in an unfamiliar environment. From the language and culture to the food and the landscape, exploring other countries is a great way to expand your family’s horizons and gain an appreciation for your own daily opportunities. You can see how local people live and work and in many cases even happily thrive with much less than the typical American middle-class family expects to have.


As a mom, wife, writer, runner and amateur chef, adventure is the name of the game for Allison. When she’s not exploring with her toddler, she’s researching her next family vacation, trying to answer the never-ending question of what to make for dinner or taking some me time on her yoga mat.

  • Published on Oct 11, 2017
Tagged with: Reader Contributions
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