I know, I shouldn’t even contemplate writing something like this if I don’t have children. I can’t possibly know what it’s like to be a parent, etc, etc. I may not currently be a parent, but I have a good idea what it means to be a decent human being. That being said, I know quite a few people who are successful parents and most of them have things in common. I will share that information with you, my dear readers.

Listen to your children. You can see extreme examples of this lesson in many movies. The children see a monster, try to tell their parents, and are told to shut up. Then the monster eats the parents. While you probably won’t actually find a monster under the bed, you really should listen to what your children have to say. The world has changed since you were young, they have to deal with things you didn’t.

Encourage your children. Everyone needs to be told that they can do anything that they apply themselves to, especially children. Let them know that they should express themselves. Encourage them to be true to themselves.

Make sure that they understand what responsibility and consequence are. I may want the world to be a better place for everyone, but even I know that there are consequences for my choices and actions. A major source of the problems in this world is lack of responsibility. Make sure your children understand that they are responsible for their actions, not someone else.

Know what your children are doing. This one should NOT need to be on this list. You shouldn’t need to be told that an underdeveloped young human being needs supervision, but here it is. Do you know what video games they like? Do you know what they are watching on tv? Are you using technology as a babysitter?

Talk to your children. Again, this shouldn’t need to be on this list. Treat your children like the little people they are, don’t try to treat them like they don’t matter. I have eliminated a lot of tantrums by explaining WHY things should be done a certain way. I treat children like little people. Parents tend to hate me for this because I can get their children to behave for me. I explain stuff, it’s that simple.

Teach by example. Don’t expect them to do things that you won’t do. Works for adults too, come to think of it.

Try a few of these things, see what happens.

dracoselene

I'm an artist, writer, ordained interfaith minister, veteran, spiritualist, androgyne, and piles of other labels that never seem to fit. I'm following my passion and attempting to make myself and the world a better place. I think that through compassion and understanding we can all become one unified race of human beings, and life is better when you remember to play.