"It is important, because it tells us how babies are prepared to learn multiple languages," said Whitney Weikum, a doctoral candidate in neural sciences at the University of British Columbia who led the experiment.

I am not saying that I am an “honest” parent. But before you label me as another egoistic man who is trying to be smart, let’s hear me out first.

And to be fair, why not you read this article in full and then tell me whether it’s right for me to come up with such a blatant title.

Agreed? Let’s move on.

There are reasons why I say that all parents are liars. To illustrate my point, the best thing to do is to come up with a list of things parents say to their kids but they don’t do themselves:

1) “You must east fruits and vegetables.” – Parents eat everything but fruits and vegetables.

2) “You must not smoke.” – Parents say this when they smoke in front of their kids.

3) “Don’t buy expensive gadgets like iPod. It’s waste of money.” – Parents chase the latest models of mobile phone, digital camera, mp3 player, etc.

4) “Exercise more.” – How often do you exercise?

5) “Read more books.” – If parents do read, which is hardly, they read newspapers and magazines more than anything else.

6) “Get good grades at school.” – How did you fare when you were at school?

7) “Excel in sports.” – Parents are good in being couch potatoes.

8) “Do not scream, yell or hit people when you’re angry.” – Look at what happens in Taiwan parliament occasionally.

9) “Do not overspend your allowance.” – Parents tend to spend more than they earn. Look at the stats on credit card debts.

10) “You must learn how to share.” – When was the last time you share your sports car with your friend?

11) “Don’t watch too much TV.” – The only thing a child sees what his parents do is watch TV.

12) “Live a balanced life.” – Do you have one yourself?

13) “You must respect others.” – Do you respect your own child?

14) “You must not make mistakes.” – Who doesn’t make mistakes?

15) “Don’t give up too soon.” – Do you hang in there long enough? Or you find an easy way out?

That’s 15 of them. I can come up with a longer list. Maybe you can too. But you already know what I mean.

Don’t get me wrong. I am not suggesting that you become a perfect mom or dad. I break some of the rules myself. I admit.

But this is not my point. My point is twofold.

Number 1: If you, as a parent, can’t be 100% perfect (see the list above and calculate how many you’ve done yourself), why do you expect your child to be one? Why do you put expectations that are as high as the sky on your child?

Number 2: I know when you say these words to your child, you mean well. It’s nothing wrong there. But can you do what you mean? Can you lead by example?

For instance, if you want your child to eat more fruits, why not you have the same menu as well? If you want your child to watch less TV, then stop being a TV addict yourself.

Don’t you think we should stop from being a parent who lies to a mom or dad who really mean what we say? By doing so, we can be a good role model to our children. Make them respect us and be proud of us.

Frankly, this is a reminder for myself too. And let us improve alongside our children.

A year and a half ago this week, after repeated attempts and repeated failures, I quit smoking. I did it for a number of reasons, but foremost in my mind was the health and happiness of my children.

As the father of six kids, I knew that the chances were good that if I kept smoking, they would smoke too. And live unhealthy lives and die young.

That's a harsh reality, but it's proven by the stats. And that kind of motivation will drive a dad to overcome the killer urges to have just one toke, to relieve stress, "because it won't really hurt to smoke just one time."

But it does. Because one time leads to two, and that leads to failure. As I'd seen so many times in my past (unsuccessful) quits. And my kids deserve better.

The Guilt

How I Quit

• Online forum. I joined a forum, introduced myself, asked questions, became a part of a community of people going through the same horrible experience (and many of them making it). It was inspirational, and motivational, as I wanted to prove to them that I could do it too. Make a rule: before you take a toke, post to the forum. It helped tremendously.


• Let it pass. When you get an urge, ride it out. It will pass. Just give yourself a few minutes. Make yourself busy. Do whatever you can to distract yourself until the urge passes.


• Deep breaths, water, healthy snacks: Some of the best ways of getting through an urge. Take some deep breaths. Drink a glass of water. Eat some frozen grapes. Give yourself a massage to relieve stress.


• Exercise: Stress relief, of course, is the biggest reason people smoke. You need to find an alternate stress reliever. For me, it was running. I wasn't good at running at first (especially with my smoker's lungs), but I just did it a little at a time. By the end of one year, I ran a marathon.

Top Los Angeles divorce attorney Stacy D. Phillips offers her best advice, so you can avoid using her services and keep your marriage alive.

Phillips, founding partner of Century City, CA-based Phillips, Lerner, Lauzon & Jamra, LLP, has represented thousands of divorcing partners and says she has often seen unions that would have survived if one or both had nurtured the relationship by practicing her time-tested strategy for assuring bliss well into the future.

Whether it’s a toddler who brings a whole new dimension to leisurely dining, a preschooler who redefines pickiness, or the day-to-day challenge of getting dinner on the table, Ann Douglas offers these solutions to your family’s toughest mealtime challenges.

When is the best time to teach your children about the value of money? There is no definite time frame but it is always good to start as early as possible. Educating, motivating and empowering children to spend money wisely at a young age would inculcate healthy financial habits. To get your children started on the road to financial responsibility, here are six simple tips.