As the saying goes, example is better than precept. How much of that have you actually achieved?
Children are like blank slates; you draw on them what you want them to become. Have you ever considered that you might be leaving stains on their slate?
I have two little darlings, and when they were young, like most families, we hired a foreign domestic helper to assist with housework. The responsibility of taking the children to and from school also fell to the helper. The roads near our home have a lot of traffic, and there are often reports of accidents, which worried me greatly. So, every time I crossed the road with my children, I would follow the traffic light instructions and never jaywalk. When I saw my children holding back the helper who was about to jaywalk, I knew I had succeeded!
Children have strong learning and observational abilities. Even if you just make small gestures, they will learn and imitate. If your speech includes filler words or profanity, they will also incorporate it into their daily vocabulary. When children imitate you, you might find it amusing, but have you ever considered that you have already stained their slate?
Some daily habits, such as raising or lowering the toilet seat after using the toilet, putting things back in their place after use, spitting on the ground, etc., will be mimicked by children who like to imitate, becoming exactly like the people around them. However, if you think these habits are problematic and you don't want your children to follow them, you must first change yourself; otherwise, you cannot ask your children not to imitate you!
As children grow older, their personal values and critical thinking about things will be even more profoundly influenced by their parents! Even if a child was originally loving or cherished life, they might become cruel and heartless due to their parents' past disciplinary methods! So, all parents must be careful, otherwise the initial desire for children to learn good things might lead them into an abyss of no return.