Let's assume you get the chance to sit down to dinner with the family. Your wife made chicken parmesan, green beans, garlic bread and a nice salad (sounds pretty good). About ten minutes into the meal your cell phone rings, what do you do?

a)      Excuse yourself to get up and answer it.

b)      Flip it open at the table, look at the caller ID, and answer it.

c)       Let it ring until the call goes to voicemail.

Quite often your first instinct would be to do either "a" or "b", especially if it's your boss calling. What message does that send to your children? This attitude says that work and anyone else calling is more important than them. Then before you know it your teenage daughter's cell phone is buzzing nonstop and what do you say to her when she wants to answer it during dinner? Parents are experts when it comes to the cliché, "do as I say, not as I do." Here's a better catchphrase for parents who want to be a role model for their children, "do as I do and do it right."

Have you seen any of your bad habits show up in your children's behavior? It certainly doesn't feel good when you see that, but the opposite is true too. When your kids display excellent behavior... you're one proud parent!