Tips and Tricks to Parenting

Parenting. It's kind of funny that I'm writing about parenting this week. . .it's not like I have ANY experience with being a parent. Because I don't. Anyway, we did learn a  couple of interesting things about parenting in my class which I am now going to share with the world. 

I am going to teach you about three facts that are important to know about when maintaining a strong relationship but also still keeping to the responsibilities of a parent. They are:

1. Consequences. A lot of the time, parents aren't sure when or how or what to do for disciplining their children. They don't want to be too harsh, but at the same time, they don't want to be too lenient either. Here are a couple of tips about consequences.
   
   Natural consequences are going to come on their own. Depending on the circumstance, sometimes it's best to simply sit back and allow your child to have the natural consequences. However! If the within the situation the natural consequence is too dangerous, too far in the future, or affects other people, then do not allow them to follow through.
   
   Logical consequences are given directly by the parent. These involve straight-forward, simple actions that the parent takes to show the child that what they did was not okay. The problem with logical consequences is that parents tend to "punish" the child, which then instills negative feelings towards the parent. There is a balance when it comes to coming up with a logical consequence. The trick is to find something that logically makes sense. For example, if the child is late for curfew, perhaps a logical consequence could be that they do not get to go out the next night. 
2. Telling your child what to do. Often parents have this mentality that they are the boss and they get to tell their children what to do and when to do it. And you are! But again, it's all about balance. Especially when it comes to adolescents and teenagers. They like to believe they are independent and can choose their own paths in life, which is okay for them to think. For you, it is important to remember to make polite requests, rather than just telling the child what to do all of the time. Turning your command into a question makes them think that it is them being kind and generous. If they turn you down, turn it into a firm request. Keep it at a request rather than a demand at all times, which keeps them thinking they are in control.
3. Always ENCOURAGE your children. No matter what they do or how sassy they are becoming,  encourage them to be good. Encourage them that they can do what they want with their life. Encourage them to be social. Encourage them to get good grades. Encouragement is something that can keep a relationship positive, even when it seems as if it is going completely downhill. So above all else, remember to always always always encourage your child to be the person they want to be. 

Being a parent is difficult. But I believe with the right amount of faith and right amount of help, your children will turn out just fine. They will be great, just like their parents. 

kthanksbye