If you think about what it is you know about life at a very basic level, it is clear that this learning all took place before you ever entered a school. It is a sobering thought, indeed, to realize that from the moment your baby is first placed in your arms, you are teaching that child much more than he or she will ever learn in a school or from a professional teacher. You are that child's universe in the beginning. Who you are, what you say, how you face life....all these things are being taught to the young child subliminally, without any major effort on your part.

Given the nature of the parent-preschooler relationship, there are so many opportunities most parents do not take advantage of to teach their child consciously instead of unconsciously. It does take a certain amount of mindfulness on the parent's part to remember that every word, every action, is teaching the child. It doesn't mean that we, as parents, have to perfect, but it does mean we have to be aware. We are always going to make mistakes, to sometimes be less than perfect role models. But if we are also aware that our words and actions are teaching all the time, we will explain, correct, or apologize when we feel we might have taught the wrong thing. Children understand mistakes are part of learning; it is good to teach them that mistakes are sometimes also part of teaching, and that mistakes can always be corrected.

When we are consciously teaching our children, our educating them should flow naturally out of life's experiences and not be forced. The child's love for the parent makes the child a much more willing and earnest student because, unless past experiences have shown him otherwise, the child always assumes that the parent has the child's best interests in mind. It is so much easier to learn from someone you know cares about you, someone who has an a true interest in your success.

The most amazing part of being a parent who consciously teaches your child is that you end up learning so much about yourself and about your child. Indeed, you learn a great deal more than you ever knew about life, all from a pint-size teacher. Inevitably, the question becomes, "who is really teaching whom?"