Besides the children reward system, there are other parenting sources for parents such as book and video haven. The books can tell you best parenting tips and is written in accord with the children’s psychology. Fictional stories given in the books can also be of great help to the parents. Comprehensive websites and links are also best option to get perfect parenting tips. The links can also be checked on the websites so as to get good parenting tips.

Other good parenting source is web forum where the parents can share from other experienced people, the tips and information of a good parenting. Taking active participation in web forums is the best way to get good parenting tips as it is conversational form of getting the parenting information. Lot of parents today are opting for message boards as it is light and fun method to talk about parenting.

Parents can also go for special instructional classes conducted to give parenting tips to the parents. By joining such classes, parents can get professional counseling on how to become a good parent. The parenting classes will give excess of practical tips and theories on child’s psychology by a skilled and certified professional having sound expertise in the area of parent counseling.

Good parenting tips can also be taken from the familiars and friends and they can be a good parenting resource. Since your familiars are close to you emotionally, so they can guide you best ways by which you can actually become a good parent. This is the easiest and priceless source to get parenting tips but the parents must make sure the nature of family and the children before making the advised parenting tip practical.

Myself webmaster of http://www.kidspoints.co.uk – a fun children’s website offers online reward system, kids reward chart, positive parenting ideas, play games and earn rewards online.

We’ve crossed too many battles, more to come, but one thing is for sure, It will only pass through the heart, but would never ever leave us heartbroken. ‘Cause our love is more than enough to heal any pain. Our love can take away all the bruise. Trust me in this, my son.

In your arms, no pain can harm me, I will never get tired of loving you. This will always be kept in my mind and restored in my heart.  If the time come, you will forget how much I love you, I hope that you will be able to read blog and see where it’s lead.

Well, I think it’s so far from reality, ‘cause God showed me how to discipline you. And all I had to do

was just to keep my eyes on you, even if would mean surrendering my own happiness.  

I love you my son, and that’s forever…

“The best thing about loving and being hurt is that you get to know what true love really is. For as gold is tested in fire, and so will love be perfected in pain”

Q3How do you cope with so many under your feet all demanding your attention.A3 Each child has a buddy system where they have a friend they look after being “a younger sibling” so if you dont have enough hands to go round you ask one of the older children to “help your buddy please “ whilst you are busy.,it works a treat.then i am able to get a load of washing done then when I’m free i take over. Sometimes its jus to give them a hand getting one of the other children a drink. It encourages your older children to become more Independant, develops cooperation,showing kindness concern and welfare of another person.My oldest daughter is only 9 and she can now bake cakes for us on her own, hoover, knows how to do the washing even. When she gets older she will be able to cope looking after her own house, cooking for herself and other tasks many friends say their 14 and 17 year cannot do for themselves that is such a shame in this day and age.

Q4 What do think makes a good parent? A4 listening,so many times as a youngster you can get forgotton or parents are too busy for you and say yes just a miniute or can’t you see i’m watching Tv after a day at work.Parents often find it hard to find time for each of their children or to be together as a family doing family things together. its good to turn the Tv off and see what other things the whole family can do together playing football in the park at the weekend, baking making a mess, its all about taking the time to listen to a child, praise them and mean it. For instance” Look mummy I’ve done a picture” and “you respond by saying that’s nice dear”, when really you didn’t even look up to take a look of the picture your child created.They soon realize its not worth it, they are not worth it ,can develop low self esteem and lack self confidence in themselves.

That’s what makes children so special,the way their little face lights up with glee when they make you cold tea and burnt toast themselves for breakfast and you eat every last bit of it and smile. It may taste yak but they created that for you and practise does make perfect so they soon develop the right skills needed to make the perfect cup of tea.

Qualified Baby and Early Years specialist.Owner of Cheeky Chums the Early Baby Store, Baby information plus more at http://www.cheekychumsonline.co.uk

Off label marketing and other promotion tactics lead to abuse and diversion of prescription drugs. This drug is very addictive. If crushed and snorted, swallowed or injected the pills can produce a “Heroin” like high. The lawsuit also resolves allegations that Purdue Pharma failed to fully disclose the abuse risks of OxyContin.

I had already lost my 17-year-old son Josiah from being killed by a semi truck. His older brother Gabriel, 24 at the time, was in the car following the one Josiah was in. Gabriel rounded the corner of the highway and saw smoke and fire. He said his guts turned over inside him. There was the car his baby brother rode in smashed and on fire. His brother’s friends were already dead. Gabriel held Josiah in his arms waiting for help. Josiah died in Gabriel’s arms. Part of all of us died that day.

10 months later it was high school graduation time and Josiah wasn’t here to graduate. They were honoring Josiah at the ceremony and invited the family to attend. Gabriel called me that evening and said he just could not endure the ceremony. I told him not to worry about it that the rest of the family could represent us and he told me he loved me.

The graduation was excruciating for us. Every student walked by this empty chair and laid a rose on the chair. The empty chair was my baby boy Josiah’s. Oh God how it hurt. I was so thankful Gabe wasn’t there to endure this.

When I had spoke to Gabriel earlier I never dreamed it would be the last time I ever heard my son’s voice.

It was around five in the morning and my son Jared knocked on my bedroom door and said someone was here to see us and it was an emergency. There stood Jessie and Michael, two of our boys best friends. I knew it had to do with Gabriel because Jared was home with us, Josiah lived in Heaven and Adam was in Virginia at the time. I asked, “Is it Gabe?” Jessie just kept crying and saying he was so sorry. The room started spinning and Michael was telling me to breath. I finally screamed out, “Is Gabe dead?” Jessie nodded yes and again said, “I’m so sorry”. I remember screaming, “your at the wrong house”. What mother could ever imagine she’d go through this hell all over again?

One of Gabriel’s best friends and roommate, Gerrad, had found Gabriel dead at their computer. He had taken OxyContin to help him forget his pain for a while. “OxyContin, I hate your guts”.

I belong to an online support group for mothers that have lost a child called “Angel Moms”. There are several moms that have lost their child to OxyContin. One of the moms, “Diana” wrote this about losing her son to OxyContin:

Oxycontin is a word I hate with all my heart and soul. I watched my son Travis go from a happy young man to a person he no longer wanted to be and one I didn’t know. This drug was to be used for the terminally ill and some how down the road of medicine this purpose got lost and so have a lot of our young people. My son became addicted to it at the age of 23 and died from an overdose at the age of 26 on March 13, 2005. He aspirated in his sleep and his wife of 15 months found him beside her dead the next morning. Travis went through “detox” 2 times trying to get off of this drug but in the end it took his life and what I once knew as life it took also. I live a different life than the one I once knew, but when a Mom looses a child they loose a part of themselves that will never return until they are reunited with that child again. I watch the news and see just about every day something on it concerning the growing addiction to prescription pain pills and Oxycontin is the leader. This saddens my heart for I know if it isn’t stopped there will be more Moms who will have to walk away from a grave and leave their child and their heart there as I did one rainy & cold morning. Diana

There are many families suffering from losses like Diana’s and mine. If you know of one or your family is suffering, there are support groups to help. I’ve told you about “Angel Moms”. You can find them at angelmoms.com. A nationwide support group for parents and grandparents is “Compassionate Friends”. They have chapters all over the country. Just visit compassionatefriends.org. Both of these support groups have saved my life.

I want to thank you for taking the time to read my story. I have a website for women survivors that I created out of love in honor of my sons Gabriel and Josiah. If I can help stop one heart from aching I haven’t worked in vain. www.joemama-survivor.com

“Some people only dream of angels, I held two in my arms”

http://www.joemama-survivor.com

Kim Lokke lives in Northern California with her husband Brad. Kim lost her sons Gabriel and Josiah through a horrible tragedy. She writes to encourage others that have gone through a tragedy. She has a website for survivors called Joemama-Survivor.

Does your child have a place for imaginative play? Is there somewhere, even the corner of a room, where they can build a block city or shape play dough monsters? Can they assemble all their stuffed animals into a school or all their cars into a parade? While children should be encouraged to pick up after themselves sometimes it takes a while to build the city of their dreams and they want time to play with it again. Try to strike a balance between your need for order and their need for imaginative play. Give them a day or so to create a complex setting for their imaginative play before forcing them to put away their toys.

Does your child have the time for imaginative play? It is amazing how many young children have a very full schedule. While many of these activities are likely required, such as school or day care, and many are also desirable, such as sports or clubs, it is also important that children be given the opportunity for free, unstructured play that allows the opportunity for imaginative play. It is not desirable that every moment of every day be structured and planned. Children who are not given the opportunity to exercise their imagination run the risk of losing the ability to use it at all.

Does your child have the supplies for imaginative play? As we know from our own childhood that imaginative play does not require extensive and elaborate supplies, but children do need access to objects they can use. A complex wardrobe is not necessary but a few items can be helpful. A bath towel might be a king’s robe or a super hero’s cape or swaddling for a baby. A cardboard tube from wrapping paper might be a sword, the container for a secret map, or a spyglass. A cardboard box might be everything from a treasure chest to a race car. Provide a few basic supplies and try not to be too suggestive in their use. Children will do better if allowed to give their imagination free rein without your interference and control.

Imaginative play can be a wonderful opportunity for your child to not only enjoy their childhood but also to learn and grow as people by trying on different roles such as parents, cooks, police officers, and firefighters but also to experience safe adventures as pirates, explorers and paleontologists. Imaginative play should be encouraged in children by allowing them the place, the time, and the supplies for imaginative play.

Renaissance Woman Deanna Mascle shares more good parenting advice in her blogs at http://deannamascle.com

The fact of the matter is that being a good parent comes instinctively to some people. However, the good news is that wonderful parenting is an art which can be learned and so there is no need to worry unduly about it. The first behavioral trait you will find in good parents is their complete lack of presumption. So many people feel that they know what is best for their children. The problem with such thinking is that it limits the ability to be original and deal with the problems of your children intelligently.

Having experienced the traumas of childhood first-hand does not ensure that you have all the answers in your kitty. Being a good parent means that you take the changing times into account and understand that a comparison of your childhood with that of your children can never be fair. The problems that plague and bother your child today will definitely be different from what you faced when you were a child.

Today, children mature a lot faster than we did when we were kids. For us, childhood was a relatively slow-paced affair while for today’s young generation things change everyday and keeping pace with life poses a whole new set of challenges that we as parents are not aware of. Being a good parent means that all outdated comparisons have to be dispensed with.

One of the most common problem parents’ face in present times is their children’s ever-increasing demand for expensive shoes or clothes or other gadgets which their friends possess. Many parents feel that their children are being insensitive and callous and do not wish to pamper them by giving into these demands. Being a good parent does not mean that you buy things for your child which you cannot afford to in the first place. However, dismissing all demands by assuming that your child is acquisitive is also not the right thing to do.

Try and empathize with your child in situations like these rather than being judgmental. Understand that these demands are prompted because of the possessions of other kids in school. Your child desires the same objects as he does not want to feel excluded or inferior to others. At this juncture, a practical gesture would be to talk to your child and broaden his horizon of thinking. Even if he is young, you can bring about the awareness that material possessions do not determine superiority or inferiority and what truly sets a person above the rest is his humane and sympathetic nature.

Your child might not take to this idea like a fish takes to water, as it will be a different way of looking at life for him but he will definitely value this sooner or later. Infusing this belief also does not mean that you never buy the expensive things that your child wants. Wherever you feel that the demand is justified or that an occasional spending spree is not a problem, you can be an extravagant parent. This way you are being a good parent along with having a pragmatic approach towards life.

One of the secrets of being a good parent is to watch the facial expressions of your child when he communicates with you as well as with other people around him. This will tell you a lot more than just listening to what your child says. Many children do not reveal their true feelings verbally as they have their own inhibitions. Being alert to facial expressions and gestures is a good way of accessing your child’s inner thoughts and emotions. Along with this, be a good listener to your child and devote quality time where you discuss not only his school and friends but other areas of interest that both of you have. After all, the metamorphosis of the child into a friend is the most desired gift to any parent.

Another great way of being a good parent is to participate actively in parent evenings. Your avid interest will be a great encouragement for your child to perform better and you will also get to know of his development in studies and other extra-curricular activities. Today, many parents are unable to help children with their school work as this necessitates some amount of computer literacy as well as knowledge of current teaching trends.

In case you have time on your hands as a parent, you could polish your computer skills and read up on teaching methods so that you can give a helping hand when necessary. Learning computer skills from your children might also be a good way of allowing the fun element into your relationship. There is even a possibility that your child admires your honest admission of ignorance in something that he/she is good at and takes a real interest in educating you. There are a lot of parents who feel the need to portray themselves as all-knowing and superior. There is no need to do so. On the contrary, your child will respect you all the more if you admit that there are certain things that you also find difficult to grasp rather than judging you as imperfect.

Even though being involved with your child’s school activities is commendable, being a good parent means that you have to keep your eyes open for your child’s reaction to your interest in their studies. Some children are perfectly capable of handling their curriculum by themselves and your zeal may be misconstrued as interference. In such cases, it is better to back off and provide help only when asked.

Many parents are paranoid about the times we live in and the issue of safety that has been so blatantly threatened by it. In a bid to shield their children, they try and set limits that are not age-appropriate. Children react adversely to this as they perceive it to be manipulative and controlling behavior on the part of their parents. One of the most important lessons you have to learn on the way of being a good parent is that coddling your children never works and your children will even start rejecting sensible and practical advice on your part so as to assert their freedom. So, beware of this tendency.

To sum it up, the whole crux of being a good parent is to accept your children as individuals who have their likes and dislikes as well as their strengths and weaknesses and respect them for what they are rather than what you would like them to be. Doing so will guarantee that not only are you a good parent, but your children are also great children to have.

Get Your Free Report On 16 Proven Ways To Motivate Your Child To Do Better In School…Plus, receive a “Live Demonstration Inside Our Unique 1 On 1 Online Classroom.” Go to http://www.tutorfi.com/parents/

One of the major things that causes bad parenting is bad parenting. I know that sounds a bit odd but read carefully. Imagine a child growing up in a poorly managed family. I don’t mean poor as in destitute but as in poor methods of parenting. Their children will learn to become the parents they so despise. When they are young, they were already being programmed to become the parents they so dislike. Therefore, when they grow up, they too become the clone of their own parents. A total MIRROR IMAGE. Which is why, in some cases, breaking that mirror is simply a must.

Now how do you do that? Well, here are ways to go about breaking that mirror. This is best done before marriage and before deciding to have children. Always ask yourself first. What kind of parent do I want to be? What kind of a leader do I want to be for my child? Do I want he or she to go through some of the unpleasant circumstances I was born into? If I am my child, what kind of family do I want to be born into? With these questions, it will bring light to what sort of a parent you desire to become.

After knowing what you want, it is still impossible to break the mirror as you do not know how to do it. this is the time you consult your 6 best friends on earth. Namely: Why, Who, How, What, When and Where.

For example, if your situation is your own bad temper, then ask the following questions:

1) Why do I want to change and eliminate my bad temper?

2) Who do I seek help from to deal with my temper problems?

3) How can I get the most benefit from the people I seek help from?

4) What techniques should I apply to make myself calm down during a temper?

5) When to apply the best technique for temper control for the best results?

6) Where can I find more resources related to my problem?

With these 6 best friends by your side, you are on your way to breaking that old mirror image of the bad parenting traits your parents may have left in you. You will be able to break free from the ill effects of bad parenting and begin a good and happy family of your own. Of course, anything good requires effort for maintenance. Always remember, your journey to good parenting and break all mirrors will be life long and that you will need to always work closely with your 6 best friends from time to time. Good luck and may you be happy always!

http://infohub2006.blogspot.com/ presents you with the (HOW, WHAT and WHO) of good parenting, do visit us for more info and resources! Remember, Good Parenting is a choice.

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Her colleagues told me that beyond Lorena’s many accomplishments, this mother of three is truly appreciated for her personal style and warmth. Lorena shared that in her dual roles as mother and advocate, she has learned alternative means of exercising power, to value different methods of negotiation, and also the importance of a smile. I saw these qualities up close meeting with her, along with her husband and son, at a seaside town in Costa Rica. Lorena’s genuine concern for others (she was late for our interview because they stopped roadside to pick up some lost German tourists) and her infectious laugh, made me feel right at home. Our first meeting felt more like a reunion with an old friend.

When I asked what led Lorena to her field of work, she told me when she was a very young girl, her father had a coffee plantation and required that she pick coffee beans to earn money. In the fields she met many people who didn’t have shoes, or even homes. She questioned this stark difference to her own situation and began to understand that not everybody has the same possibilities in life. She saw these were kind people and hard workers, yet they had few opportunities to improve their living conditions because they didn’t have assets for better education or access to credit.

When Lorena became pregnant with her first child, she realized she would work in rural development because she wanted other mothers to have the options she did to raise their kids in a safer environment. “My life has been good, so I’m doing this because I want other moms to have the happiness I’ve had raising my own children,” she said.

Through her work with the World Conservation Union, Lorena sees many global poverty initiatives not able to fulfill needs because they’re putting money in the wrong pockets. She remembers, “When I worked with women in El Salvador, whenever they had income from their activities they were always so proud to declare, ‘I’m going to put my kids through school.’ You never heard mothers say, ‘I’m going to buy a new piece of land or I’m going to build three times my house.’ No, they would put their children in school.” Lorena points to studies they have conducted in Latin America, Asia and Africa that show when the same amount of money goes to women, 75 to 95% of the resources are invested in improving life quality for their family. “Mothers are always thinking about their kids first in general, and that’s worldwide. I haven’t met a mother- well, a few of them- who doesn’t put her kids first in the agenda,” she explained.

Lorena says her biggest challenge is the environmental sector has not recognized women, even though they continue to use women in many ways. For example, recycling campaigns: women manage and operate them in most rural communities. Yet when programs and policies for recycling are developed, women are often absent during the process. Lorena knows women play a vital role in the management of natural resources and so her major task for the World Conservation Union is to convince authorities of the importance of involving women in policy development, and at the same time, help women in developing countries acquire the necessary advocacy skills and have access to resources that will improve their living conditions.

To achieve this goal, Lorena is mobilizing women and mothers in Costa Rica and around the world to use their voice and become part of the environmental agenda. She works with thousands of women at the community level, organizing through friendships and the most basic networks. “We work with women in the field, bringing them to speak, teaching them how to speak and to not be afraid of speaking. The key is, they don’t speak for themselves, they speak for the needs of their families and children,” she said. Lorena adds, “When you help them to speak out, at the beginning, it’s very difficult. A lot of them are damn scared of talking or expressing themselves. But then, they break the ice and become very, very powerful women with their voice. Later on you can’t stop them! And by speaking, they don’t lose anything. They lose the most by remaining silent.”

Lorena tells me that through her life, mothers have touched her in many ways and they have taught her that life is about enjoying what you have, fighting for it and doing the best you can. “If women can walk every day eight hours to bring home a pail of dirty water, how can we complain about what we don’t have? I haven’t enough time? I have to run from work to this and that? No, I can’t complain about those things with my new parameters in life,” she says. Lorena believes what has changed her is the raw courage of women around the world.

I ask Lorena to share her advise to busy mothers who feel overwhelmed by their sense of domestic responsibility, yet want to be contributing more to the world outside their home. “One thing I would tell those who are looking to make a difference is that as a mother, you have a tremendous amount of activities that you conduct within society. You don’t have to be outside the household to be seen. I think that mothers have to understand that they do work,” she says emphatically. She finds it funny, yet sad when she asks women in rural areas if they work- mothers with 11 kids, doing everything in the home- and they say, “No, I don’t work. I help my husband.” And how many hours? “Eight hours. He needs help.” She reminds me how many hours of work women put in to maintain our society within households. “If someone had to pay for it, most families wouldn’t have enough resources to pay for taking care of kids, washing, cooking, cleaning, driving to schools and doctors, and the rest. Even if they’re not in the public sphere, there’s so much that women do,” says Lorena. We discuss how most societies have not given true value to the work of being a mother.

Lorena also believes reaching out to someone makes a mother’s life easier and more rewarding–so find the time. “Find the time to do small things like recycle, plant a tree, play in the grass with your kids, ride a bike–but stop complaining about how much you have to do. There’s no use in complaining. I stopped it many years ago because I realized this is it, I have no choice. I’d better get accustomed to it, enjoy it and try to get the best out of it. If life gives you lemons, make lemonade or a margarita!” chirps Lorena.

When I ask how she does it all, Lorena gives much credit to her husband Eric. “I know Eric has been a fundamental part because we’re a functioning unit. Sharing the responsibility of parenthood, in the cases that it’s possible, is the best way for families to thrive.” she says. She is grateful that Eric is teaching her son Sergio that things can be different-that doing household chores is not a woman thing, that being soft and sweet is not just a woman thing- that it’s okay for men to be like that. This is our balance.”

Lorena tells me the force that drives her efforts for the environment is her children and grandchildren. “You need to think about the future and act because it doesn’t end when you die. You leave a legacy and want a better life for those who are coming. I don’t want my grandsons to say, ‘Why are the forests destroyed, why didn’t your generation do anything?’ At least I can look at them and say I did, I tried.”

This is an excerpt from Inspiring Mothers: Wisdom & Activism from Mothers Around the World (forthcoming, 2009). On a journey through five continents, Amie Nelson is interviewing mothers who are redefining their roles as caregivers and revitalizing their communities. To read more and receive your Free Report: Seven Simple Steps You Can Take Now to Change the World, visit www.inspiringmothers.com.

 When my son told me he was getting married, I knew I wanted to write a song for him and his new bride.  My intention was to give him something special and personal.  As I started to write the song, it became more obvious to me that it would be a wonderful song to be played at the wedding that he and I could dance to. 

 The focus of this mother and son song was not so much about him as a boy growing up.  It was about his special wedding day and the start of his new life with his new bride.  I wanted to welcome his new bride into our family as my new daughter and wanted her to know that we could always share his love.  I wanted to let him know that I would always be there for him.  I wanted my son to see his new wife as his best friend and that it’s important to always be faithful to each other.

 I wrote the lyrics for this mother and son wedding song and Jim McShane wrote the music.  We recorded the song in a traditional version and played it at the wedding.  It was beautiful to everyone, young and old, male and female.  I was encouraged by so many people to publish the CD and make it available to others.  So, with this encouragement, Jim and I also recorded a country version and released our single, recorded in both the traditional and country versions in May of 2007.  The CD is available at www.shopmysongs.com where you can view the lyrics and listen to a short clip of both versions of the song.

 My new father daughter wedding song titled I’ll Always Be Your Daughter was released in May 2008.  I am recording a new bride and groom first dance song titled Two Little Words.  It will be released in June 2009.

 I am not only a proud mother of two boys and a daughter-in-law, I am now a proud grandmother of beautiful little girl.

 Best wishes to all mothers & sons, fathers & daughters, and all parents on their special wedding day.

 Lynn Leonti 

Co-writer of two wedding songs titled I’ll Always Be Your Mother (mother son wedding song) and I’ll Always Be Your Daughter (father daughter wedding song).

All parents want their children to develop into well adjusted adults, respected as much for the integrity of their character as for their professional skills. This doesn’t just happen overnight. It takes years of patient guidance, consistent discipline and above all, an abundance of love that is tangible to the child even during the worst periods in their growing up – and believe me, there will be many of those, before you can sit back and say with relief, “My work is done”.

Many people equate an abundance of love with spoiling their child. I think that perhaps they have not understood what the term LOVE means, especially as it relates to a child. Let us start with what it is not:

1) Love is not over-indulging your child, giving in to every whim of his/hers because you feel guilty, tired, afraid you would lose your temper or scared that your kid may not love you.

2) Love is not harshly disciplining your children for every little broken rule in the mistaken belief that you are doing it for their good and if you don’t punish them often and hard, a life of turmoil and misery beckons.

3) Love is not protecting your kids from the natural heart aches that come with growing up – whether it is a friend’s betrayal, loss of a pet or loved one, not getting something deeply longed for.

4) Love is not using emotional blackmail at any time or for any reason in order to control them and get them to do what you want them to do.

Love that is most beneficial to children is one that focuses on them and accepts them for the unique individuals that they are. To be a truly loving parent, we need to learn to be a bit dispassionate about our kids. Even the most well meaning of parents tend to forget this. Unbiased love for your children helps you to focus on the child, rather than the fact that he/she belongs to you. You then learn to accept the possibilities and limitations of each of your children and to marvel at their individual potential. If there are no pre-conceived expectations, there is less pressure on the child and there are no feelings of disappointment in the parent. When children sense that they are not being measured against their siblings or friends, their confidence grows, there are less disciplinary issues and above all, they feel valued for themselves. Learning to love our kids this way is one of the hardest lessons in parenting; it being so natural to think in terms of “My Children” with the emphasis on “My” rather than on “Children”.

Good parenting is a skill honed through trial and error. Most parents are so concerned about being good parents that they tend to over compensate for their perceived inadequacies. They tend to overlook the fact that most kids prefer laughter, a home filled with warmth and understanding and parents whom they can trust and turn to in times of trouble rather than being inundated with designer clothes, shoes and toys. How often do we hear the complaint that kids now-a-days are too obsessed with material things. Perhaps it is time we, as parents, ask ourselves how much we have contributed to our children’s obsessions. A lot of people seem to have lost faith in their ability to be good parents, mistakenly thinking that they should always be infallible. What we must never lose sight of is that for the most part, we do get it right and that our love for our children will guide our parental instincts. Problems arise only when we do not learn from our mistakes. Children seem to have an infinite capacity to forgive their parents if they know or feel that their mothers and/or fathers are trying to do their very best for them.

Parents are only human – a fact that is often ignored by our kids and even more so, by ourselves. It is alright to get angry or depressed, irritated or to just want some time to yourself. What is not alright is to let these feelings affect your behaviour towards your children. How you handle your emotions is a good indicator of how your kids will manage theirs when they grow up. Rather than pretend that everything is fine, it would be better if you explained to your kids that you are upset about something and that you need sometime to work through the problem. Not only will the children be relieved that they are not the reason for your turmoil, they will probably try hard not to upset you further. Explaining the rationale for your actions to your children in terms they can understand teaches them empathy, alleviates their concerns that they are the cause of your distress and shows them how negative emotions should be handled.

Most parents have a hard time trying to decide whether or not they should shield their young children from the harsh facts of life. War, famine, death – these are constantly in the news. Closer to home it might be the prolonged illness or death of a close relative, friend, or even a pet, the break up of a close friendship, divorce, losing a job or home. There is no guarantee that life will always be smooth sailing and the sooner children are taught to face such situations with equanimity, the more resilient they will be when, as adults, they have their own misfortunes to face.

Parenting can be stressful, it is often under valued and unglamorous yet it can be and very often is uplifting and provides some of our most precious memories. If we remember to relax and enjoy our kids, love them for who they are, try to inculcate a strong personal value system from a very early age, revel in their accomplishments and be a constant source of support for them, we can be sure of doing a pretty good job. There is, of course, the added bonus of our own self improvement as we try to be more like the person we want our children to emulate.

You too can successfully mould your child into achieving his/her full potential. Find out how, with this FREE eBook.
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