ADULT INFLUENCES
Whether it is parental or non-parental, children are influenced by the words and actions of adults. Adolescents often look to adults in order to determine appropriate and acceptable behavior, as well as to identify models of who they want to be like. Adult influences, however, can be both positive and negative, and some adults may be more influential than others. We are constantly reminded of the impact of adult actions and words on our young folks today. Perhaps no one sees more evidence of this than today’s educators/teachers, who are also unjustly blamed for many of the negative actions of our youth.
By the time a baby becomes a toddler, they have picked up habits from their adult influencers. It may be as simple as a physical gestures, food preference, and words. They also learn discipline as to what they can get by with.
Here I am in the Geriatric years of my life and not a day goes by, not even a waking hour, that I do not experience matters that were influenced by adults, especially my parents and grandparents. Some of us have a political preference simply because of that of our parents. Some of us have habits that may seem odd to others, habits that were influenced upon us since childhood. Even when cooking, I am constantly using methods learned from my mother, such as using the palm of my hand to measure a teaspoon of salt or mixing a little vinegar into milk to make buttermilk. My handwriting is beginning to wane, but for many years it was something I received many compliments on. Why? Because when I was first learning to write, my dad (who was helping me with homework) scolded me, “You need to take your time and do a neater job.” Always wanting to please my dad (my best friend), I can still hear those words. He was also a huge influence on my taste in music and the importance of practicing. Although I was successful in playing all types of music from ragtime to classical, it was the old-time tunes that he himself learned as a child fiddler that is my preference today.
Words matter, and the words we use can also influence young folks. We were never allowed to use bad language in our home; our parents didn’t and we always had the threat of washing our mouths out with soap looming overhead. Opinions also matter. Prejudices were never allowed in our house and that was followed through when I became a homemaker. I am proud to say that that influence has followed through with my children and grandchildren. Many studies have been made regarding adult influence on children. Children are encouraged to look up to adults as if they are their role models. They constantly follow what they do and they try to keep up with them because they have that feeling of being like them. However, when adults act like children, younger people will tend to act like them because adults are children’s role models. There is always that old stigma known as, “Monkey see, monkey do.” If one does something and others see it, there is a high probability of people following other peoples’ actions due to that influence. So, what this all boils down to is the fact that we are the adults in the room. Whether you are a young parent, a political figure, or an aging grandparent, you are responsible for influencing our youth and adult influences are more important today than ever.
