Wake up. Lead. Be the example.

Your kids are going to figure you out someday, every part of you. They’ll see the kind of parent you really are, not just the version you try to present.

You tell them to get off their screens, but you’re scrolling your phone every spare second. You tell them to go outside and play, but when was the last time you moved your own body just for the sake of health and joy? You warn them about peer pressure and making good choices, but they see you reaching for that glass of wine night after night, using it to cope, to unwind, to escape. They’re watching more closely than you think, soaking up your habits, your words, and your contradictions.

They’ll feel the effort, or lack of it, you put into them, into yourself, and into your life. And eventually, they’ll either admire who you were, or hope they never become like you.

Your standards become their normal. You can say it doesn’t matter, but it’s the only thing that matters. Every excuse. Every time you quit. Every time you show up. They don’t need a perfect parent, they need a present, disciplined, relentless one. You don’t get to hide behind “I’m doing my best” if your best is weak, numbed out, or half-assed.

Wake up. Lead. Be the example. You’re not just raising kids. You’re showing them how to live. Choose wisely. You have a lot at stake.