It’s important to parent with a purpose. After all, it is the most significant job you will ever have in life.
The following is a lengthy list of tips to help you achieve your parenting goals.
• Reward the Three As: Attempts, Achievements, and Acts of Kindness. Mindful parents always recognize attempts and achievements.
• Hungry, Angry, Lonely, Tired? HALT before you lose patience with your child.
• Model, teach, and then delegate to improve responsibility and self-confidence. Children with high self-esteem have less misbehaviors. Use natural consequences and positive, intrinsic rewards to build your child’s self-esteem. And remember children need structure and consistency in order to feel safe and become successful.
• Encourage and inspire so your child will explore. Your child is a mind in the making. Be thoughtful of what you are teaching. Don’t do everything for your child. Offer opportunities to build independence and critical-thinking skills. And don’t overprotect — allow your child to learn and grow.
• Teach your child manners, rather than reminding at the time. Say what you mean, mean what you say, but don’t say it mean. Nurture your child’s curiosity, and direct his energy. Don’t forget to teach your child how to wait patiently and reward patience.
• More is caught than taught. Be a great role model. The definition of insanity is doing the same thing, over and over, while expecting a different result. It’s easy to focus on the negatives. Instead of yelling from across the room, get up and go to your child. Give a hug and a kiss, just because.
• Toddlers, ‘tweens, and teens all need to be taught. Solve problems and teach House Rules at family meetings.
• Build a daily routine, and move from chaos to control. Set a bedtime routine, and stick to it! Remember: children who are well rested have less misbehaviors.
• Communicate so your child can understand. Provide information in three sentences or less, for better processing. Being inconsistent is unfair to any child, because inconsistent messaging is impossible to process. Never reinforce inappropriate behaviors. Don’t forget to acknowledge your child’s feelings, so he feels understood.
• When a child is recognized for the good things he does, he will do them again. Catch ‘em being good, all day, for remarkable results. Instead of threats, tell your child what you do want him to do. Eliminate “Stop!” and “Don’t.”
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