My father used to tell me I like to hear the sound of my own voice. He said this not because I sang beautiful ballads as a child, but because I talked way too much! Like any normal son, I dismissed my father’s comments and continued talking away for the next twenty-six years until…

“Yeah, yeah, okay dad, I heard you already,” my seven-year old said when I was explaining the correct way to put air in his bicycle tire. My wife was kind enough to translate for him: “In other words, just show him how to inflate the tire and stop talking!”

Okay, I know and fully understand this concept that children learn by watching, observing, copying, and doing. I am even glad to have been reminded of the obvious, but why is something so obvious so easy to forget?

Children emulate their parent’s behaviors, expressions, habits, moods, ethics, reactions, actions, and yet we moms and dads spend most of the time TELLING children what they should or should not do when we should simply be SHOWING them.

I gave this a little thought and it seems that it is much easier to talk than do, especially when we parents do the opposite of what we say. I remember my Grandfather saying to my cousin, “Do as I say - not as I do.” Ever hear that? Think right now of something you tell your children not to do that you do all the time. We are all guilty, but mark my words, our children will not let us get away with the crime. They are watching and will follow our actions faithfully despite the words we use. Even when learning Math or Language Arts or Science, there is no substitute for observation and hands-on learning.

A fourth grade public school teacher recently told me that school administrators have banned using real tadpoles for their life-cycle unit and they have done away with incubating eggs into baby chicks. Apparently frogs and eggs can carry salmonella. Sorry kids, no more field trips to the local farms. In fact, some school districts are banning all animals from all classes including classroom pets like fish, hamsters, hermit crabs, and with the bird flu, let’s not even discuss parakeets. How about this: Couldn’t we show kids how to properly wash their hands?

If the schools think children will learn about Science, nature, and life-cycles using books and lectures I would like to introduce you to my son and another million other children that just won’t learn that way. In one ear and out the other. Maybe it’s time we grown ups start acting like kids. Did you ever see a couple of toddlers meet for the first time at a park? They stare at each other for a minute or two, observe what each one is doing and how they are acting, and then start playing with one another without saying a word. Talk is cheap.

Maybe we parents just need to think of every action as a hundred words. Less talk, more action. In fact, I will challenge myself to speak 50% less this week and see if it changes my children’s behavior or learning. Try it with me and email me your experience at WackyWild.com. My guess is we will all be more conscious of how we are behaving in front of our children and teach them more because we are saying less.

Well dad, once again, I have to admit you were right. I have been talking too much and I bet you like the sound of that.

Bio - Seth "Bugmaster" Prezant is the president of Wacky Wild Science. His education company provides in-school, in-camp, and after-care science presentations in addition to birthday parties for both boys and girls. The Bugmaster can be reached at 954-562-6803 or www.WackyWild.com.