Dear Moms, Dads, Relatives, Educators and Business Owners

Being both a mom and a business woman, I read a lot of parenting books and business books. My kids are now 7 and 9 years and I like to think that I have healthy eating habits, routines and boundaries fairly well established. There will always be room for improvement of course, but lately I have started to look at and research how to parent them to ensure they have successful careers, balanced lives, and a positive impact on our community.

A lot of the parenting books and articles I have read recently, encourage parents to lead by example. What you do and who you are, has a much bigger impact than what you say in the long run. You know this is good advice to follow, after all, as a parent, you have probably laughed (or cringed) while watching your child act out or behave in a manner identical to your own. Great little mimics that they are.

The same concept of what you do and who you are also applies to entrepreneurs in the business world. People have to be sold on you, the person, before they buy into what you are selling. Quite a few of the business books I have read inspire you to become self aware and ask yourself what you need to do, to become the ideal leader and mentor to those that follow you. So I found myself thinking about what I need to do or change about myself to become the ideal person to lead and mentor my children to a successful future. If I want them to succeed in the adult and business world one day, I need to show them by example how to do it.

The business books that have stuck in my mind and that have had the most influence on me have not been about day to day tasks or accomplishments. They have been the ones that help people understand who they are, how to work with your strengths and weaknesses and how to figure out what you need to change or adapt, to get you to where you want to go. These are the parenting lessons that will help your children navigate their future. (For examples of these read 6 business books with parenting lessons.)

With August 2011 being Women's month and Tuesday 9th August, Women's day, it is an ideal time to challenge moms who are responsible for shaping our leaders of the future to ask the following:

What do you need to change about yourself in order to be the leader and mentor that you want your children to be to those who will follow them? (Whew! Lucky it's a long weekend to ponder this one, it's a biggie!)

http://www.kidzworld.co.za

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