Do it Yourself!

FROM SIMONE - There are several recurrent themes in Parents discussions in terms of difficulties they encounter in running a Son-Rise Program or any lifestyle change for their children. The most popular ones are "My child does not eat vegetables", "I can't find volunteers for my Program" and many others.

One thing I have asked myself and made a world of difference was how much of the things my child was not willing to try or other people were not willing to do I was willing to try or do myself?

I took the principle of joining, checking for myself how my child felt doing what he did, doing it for myself and expanded it to all aspects of my life. I noticed perhaps he wasn't trying the new healthy toothpaste because it tasted gross, I was still using my ordinary toothpaste, how would I know? I changed to another still natural one but that tasted so much better and all of a sudden the tooth brushing issues disappeared.

I started the Specific Carbohydrate diet myself and apart from being able to troubleshoot when something is difficult to digest, has a texture that is hard to munch or simply doesn't taste nice I also gave my son an example that those foods must be nice as I was eating them too. I also lost weight, got more energy and solved lots of health issues I took for granted.

Volunteers! I was driving them away and never noticed. I was treating working with my son as a favour they were doing to me while I was giving them nothing in return. When I volunteered myself I realised how fun and rewarding it was and our relationship reached a totally different level.

In short, for everything you expect other people to do, specially your child, do it yourself first, and you feel first hand if what you are asking is feasible, if needs adjusting or discarding.

I'll never forget when I had my first English Teacher training course (I taught English to Brazilians), instead of our Teacher, a Japanese guy entered the classroom speaking Japanese for half an hour, no translations, he just carried on and we couldn't follow a thing. After half an hour the real Teacher came in and said to us, "I just wanted you to feel like your students will do in their first class". I have never forgotten that lesson and I carry that teaching throughout my life in everything I do, I do it myself.