monkey see , monkey do

Hey everyone! Have you ever been out to dinner and seen families with little children? I’m sure you have! Have you noticed that if the mother is wearing make up and fancy outfit, the little girl is wearing make up and a fancy outfit? Or how about if the father is wearing a baseball cap, there’s a 99% chance the little boy is to! Growing up children use their parents or guardians as their idols and inspiration. They want to be just like them! When asking a boy what he wants to be like when he grows up there’s a great chance he'd answer " a firefighter like my daddy" or if you ask a girl who they want to marry when they grow up, its common for them to answer " I'm going to marry my daddy!" Children often mimic everything their parents do, so what makes drugs and alcohol different? Nothing. There was an article on MSNBC about a study done on children, to find out if their " play behavior" indicates that they are influenced by the actions of their parents. The study consisted of 120 children, both boys and girls. The ages ranged from 2-6. There was a miniature store set up filled with : fruits, vegetables, meats, alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, snacks, cigarettes, beer and wine. The children were asked to go to the store to pick out items that their Barbie and ken would need to host their social even that evening, like at barbeque or a simple party. Keep in mind that the children were allowed to pick ANYTHING they thought that their Barbie and Ken would need. What they didn't know is that their parents were behind a mirrored window watching. A 4 year old girl chose Barbie sized tobacco and said " I need these for my man, a man needs cigarettes." The study showed that 28% of children bought cigarettes. Children who’s parents smoked were 4 times more likely to buy cigarettes. 61% of children bought alcohol. Children who’s parents drank monthly were 3 times more likely to buy alcohol. Just remember that these children were from the ages of 2-6! It gets you thinking, if they experience this type of behavior at this age, what’s going to happen when they are teens?

pictures above was from flickr.com