Positive Male Influence

A personal credo of mine is that children need a positive role model in and out of the home.  Children who have a positive male role model are less likely to get into trouble at home, less likely to drop out of school, to use drugs and less likely to end up in prison. Children who have a positive male role model have a better outlook on life. A positive male role model is so important they have started organizations to help with this problem, programs like big brother and big sisters of America, with this program once a week or more, a volunteer will come and mentor a child who would otherwise not have a positive person to look up to. Positive male role models importance has also inspired a movie, Courageous where men also sign a declaration stating they would be positive male role models in their homes.
I try my best to be a positive role model to my children, we try to eat at least one meal together a day as a family. We go to church as a family and sit and worship together. I show my children the importance of going to work and getting an education. I spend as much time with my children doing productive and fun things with them. Being a positive male influence has had me make some changes in my life, I have started going to church and stopped some of the more destructive things in my life. I quit drinking, and started focusing on my family after my daughter was born. Being a positive male role model isn’t hard to do, you try your best and you raise your kids how you think they should be raised. Cutting negative thoughts and actions out of your life will help you be a positive role model in children’s lives. I have cut most of the negative thoughts and actions out of my life; I still get a negative thought or two on occasion. When something bad happens I try to look for the positive. If I have a bad day at work I see at least I get to go home to a family that supports me and loves the sacrifices that I make for them to have a better life. If I am fighting with Sarah, I know we are arguing now but we still love each other and it is going to take more than this little fight to end what we have together.
A positive male role model doesn’t necessarily have to be the father of the children. Nephews and nieces look up to their uncles as a positive male role model, before I had children of my own my nephews looked up to me, and still look up to me to this day. Their father divorced my sister, and has not been the most supporting and positive person. You could be a positive male role model in someones life and not even realize it. A neighbor who sees you as an older brother, they could be looking up to you. It is important for males to make a positive effect on younger people around them.
Just being in the situation and living with your children isn’t always being a positive influence. If you are doing negative actions around children i.e. smoking, drinking, drugs, and other actions children also pick up on the negative role models. Children who see negative behavior are also more likely to do the negative behavior themselves. Kids who are in a home where there is smoking are far more likely to start smoking themselves.  Kids who are in a home where there is drinking are more likely to drink themselves. How you treat others also affect the way your children will act towards others. I young boy who sees his father acting negatively towards women will see that as a behavior that is ok and will himself treat women the same way.
I am thankful that I had a positive influence in my life. My dad worked hard every day of his life, but he was there for us when we needed him. He was someone I could always go to if I needed someone to talk to, or someone to just listen to what I had to say. My dad helped shape me into the man that I am today. He was a positive role model and I am proud that he was there for me and my sisters.