Parents teach their children life skills. Unfortunately and despite popular belief, children do not come preprogrammed with a "how to deal with life guide." Yet parents often do not realize the power that their daily life scripts have on their kids. Children are captive audiences as they view your behaviors and responses to life challenges. They watch you 24/7 as a personal dvd. Your kids then use these powerful images as models for solving their own life problems. For example, how do you respond in angry situations? Do you acknowledge any negative results of your decisions? Do you ever accept responsibility for poor results of a team project? Do your kids observe you gossiping about your buddies? Do you always resort to verbal cursing and physical fighting to solve disagreements?

Everyone may have a different opinion about and solution to a problem. In such situations, what life lesson will your child learn about resolving conflict? As a parent, it is important to think about the powerful message you are sending your child through your behavior. Kids often mimic their parents. So if you have a problem with anger management and you are about to become a parent, this is probably the best time to finally address it.