Parenting Rules Are Parenting Goals To Help Good Parents Become Great Parents
Parenting Rules are principles to follow to become the type and quality of parent you want to be. Parenting Rules are chosen by each parent individually and should be based on sound parenting principles and virtues that act as internal goals to guide a parent in their quest for parenting excellence. The best Parenting Advice and the proper Parenting Style are those we search out ourselves because we are looking for answers to our own parenting questions. There is an old saying: What I think that means is that once we are ready to learn, then we begin to discover those people, books, websites, and other resources that can teach us what we want to know. Until we are receptive to learning, there can be no effective teacher or teaching. A goal not written is only a wish, and does not have the power to change or shape a human life. Parenting Rules are best established when you as the parent realize that it is easier to become the type of parent you want to be by first defining the type of parent you want to be. Parenting Today is best done through creating a set of Parenting Rules you can look at and remember what it is you want to do and be as a parent, so write your rules down to make them ‘official’. Some people will tell you there are “10 Special Parenting Rules”, or that they have the “Secret Rules To Parenting Success”. These people are trying to sell you something, since there are no real secrets, and no pre-defined number of Parenting Rules to live by. There are only the ways you want your children to be treated, and how you plan to be the parent who always treats them in that way, over and over and over again. So decide on what principles you would like to live your parenting life by, and write them down and hang them up, or keep them in a drawer somewhere to remind you of your parenting goals and aspirations. I am including a few ideas of my own for your thoughtful consideration. May your own Parenting Rules reflect your own special beliefs and values, and may they help to guide your parenting actions in ways your children will be grateful for now, tomorrow, and especially when THEY become parents themselves. Parenting Rules To Live By Rule No. 1 – The Parenting Golden Rule: This is as simple as it is profound. Some parents don’t respect their children, don’t speak kindly to their children, and don’t spend time having fun with their children. Then These same parents don’t understand why their children don’t visit them more often once the parents are older and want to see their children and grandchildren more often. If you want a happy old age, then treat your children well when they are growing up in the home you make for them.
Rule No. 2 – Be Loving Love is another way of saying ‘Parent’. You cannot parent properly, discipline effectively, communicate honestly, or do any of the other parenting tasks that need to be done, the way they NEED to be done, without love. Parenting is itself an act of self-sacrifice and lifelong commitment. Children are conceived through ‘making love’, and can only be parented the way they deserve to be, through love. Parenting requires true love from start to finish. Rule No. 3 – Be Consistent Life is not fair, but for some reason children really WISH it was. By being consistent with how you parent, you can make life seem fair for the children in your home. Try to create predictability in as many aspects of home life as possible. Children love to know the rules, and will work hard to get the rewards that come from obeying them. Being consistent leads to much fewer fights and more understanding as family members learn to anticipate certain outcomes given certain actions and behaviors. Consistency helps put your family life on a peaceful and predictable “auto pilot” of sorts, and seems to be one of the few ‘Must Have Parenting Rules’ that good parents should live by. Rule No. 4 – Be Dependable Children need parents they can count on. Parents need to be a dependable force in their children’s lives. Simple – Understandable – Vitally Important. Rule No. 5 – Have Fun Life was meant to be a joyous occasion. I know that at times when the baby is crying, the twins are arguing, and the homework has not been finished (again), it doesn’t feel like a joyful event, but life is supposed to be joyful regardless of the circumstances and obstacles. Parents need to have fun being parents so their children can feel and experience that fun and catch the vision of a joyful and happy life. There is no crisis that can withstand the healing power of a smile and some laughter. Your home should be a happy and bright and fun place to live in. Have a game night, go eat your family dinner at a park under a tree, and go watch a sunset as a family. Be creative and have some fun. If your home is a happy place to be, everyone in the family will WANT to be there as much as possible. Children prefer happy parents more than any other kind. Parents prefer being happy parents too! Life is too short to not find the joy in it all. There is a lot more parenting wisdom to share. Here is another Parenting Rules thought: Create and write down the Parenting Rules that you wish to live by, that will help and inspire you to be better than you otherwise would be as the parent, mentor, and positive example to your children at any time, for any reason, over and over again. Return from the Parenting Rules Page to the |
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