Why is it we as parents think it is reasonable to expect our children to obey our edicts to be patient, to be fair, and to be honest, when our children observe us practicing very few of these things ourselves?  We want our kids to be all they can be, while they observe us modeling mediocrity at work, laziness at home, and demonstrating discourtesy and lack of respect for them and our spouses.

If we as parents don’t live what we expect of our children, are we foolish to think they will give credence to anything but the things to which we give importance?