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Parenting 101

I dont' usually browse around on WebMD, but had to visit the site to look up some info recently, and came across a great article on commonsense parenting. As a child welfare worker for several years, it amazed me the level of parenting I witnessed, and the degree of oblivion many of the parents possessed as to why their kids behaved like they did.

There are some great resources out there today, including the mildly entertaining TV show Nanny 911. If I had to offer any advice from my various personal experiences working with kids from all age groups, it could be summarized as: "Learn to say 'no' and mean it!" This one thing would mitigate a majority of parent-child conflict as I understand them. I once heard a well-qualified, and well-respected social worker state: "Children need two things to grow up healthy: Love and Structure. If you have to sacrifice one, give them structure." I could not agree more.

Well, in order to avoid the Top 10 Parenting Pitfalls, here is some basic advice (Check out the whole article for more practical scenarios and advice):
No matter the scenario, here are tips for dealing with parenting pitfalls: Mean business. "Speak to your child like you mean business, and send clear messages when you're communicating with your kids," says Donahue. Stick to your guns. "The toughest thing is to have endurance," says Donahue. "Stick to your guns, even when the kids are whining and pushing your buttons. Kids know that if we have a history of not sticking to what we say, they're going to push and push. Have the endurance and the strength and the energy to keep up with them." Plan ahead. "Parents have to do a better job of helping kids to anticipate the behavior that is expected of them beforehand," Donahue tells WebMD. "When you're in the middle of a situation, you're busy and rushing and don't think about it, and then things can get out of control." Take care of yourself. "Sleep more, exercise, and take care of yourself," says Donahue. "Parenting is extremely exhausting work."