IT’S surely no surprise to anyone that children learn life habits from their parents.

Much as some prefer to blame teachers, the environment or Brexit for their own failings, the reality of the situation is that parents DO mould their children’s lives to a point.

Fortunately, at that point, children can often start to work out things for themselves. But it doesn’t stop many of them already being damaged irrevocably in some way.

That is all not to say that there are not many brilliant parents around who care about their children and are great role models. Or, that children themselves are not shown the way to proper, rounded development by schools. There were several examples of the latter during just one week locally. Horwich schoolchildren at Lever Park School were so moved by reading the novel Stone Cold by Robert Swindells - which explores the issue of homelessness – that they decided to do something practical. They spent a day making up packed lunches before travelling to Manchester to distribute the food in a great lesson about life today and the compassion we can all easily show to others less fortunate.

Thornleigh Salesian College pupils learned vital life-saving lessons on Restart a Heart Day from medical experts and paramedics who showed them CPR. This complements the school’s own First Aid training sessions and a First Aid Club is starting up there.

Youngsters at Sharples Primary School have been exercising in the playground before lessons in an initiative to get their blood pumping and give them a healthy start to the day.

Some would argue that it’s not the schools’ job to teach life-skills and that parents should be made to take a more active role.

However, this is difficult to enforce and doesn’t allow for the fact that many parents had poor role models themselves and not all have learned enough to pass on to children.

I still believe that most life-skills and social behaviour must be taught at home – from children being able to use the toilet alone, eat meals properly and behave with others to sex education, avoiding temptations and how to keep themselves safe.

It’s never too late for parents to learn all these things themselves, and learn how to pass them on to children.

They are hugely influential in their children’s lives and, if their role models are positive, they always can be.