Being a parent means more than just bringing children into the world. It also means being the role model and setting good examples through actions and words forgetting the old adage “do as I say and not as I do. It means teaching the children right from wrong. We all know kids learn more by example and if the example is poor, the kids will learn poor behavior and attitude. Little kids are impressionable and they are a clean slate. Parenting little kids is the opportunity to fill the slate with positive thoughts and actions and not negative behavior.
Kids sometimes have a hard time learning lessons and it might take a while for one to stick as long as there is continuity to the lessons, and consequences, parents will have a much easier time teaching good behavior. Parenting done with repetition is sometimes necessary. It is not that the kids are trying to be a pain in the seat of anyones pants but, kids are kids and they will aggravate their parents from time to time. Parenting kids means not confusing them with different messages. Parents should always mean what they say and say what they mean but do not be mean when it is said.
Little kids are human sponges. They absorb just about everything they come in contact with including last nights dinner whether they ate it or not. That means they will absorb the environment they live in, most of the time without knowing it. They will mimic what they see and hear. The environment they live in is harsh, rude and cruel; the kids will become the same way. If the environment they live in is positive, respectful and loving along with a generous dose of responsible living, that is the behavior they will display.
A terrific way for a parent to reinforce good behavior is to focus attention on the good things they do. Positive attention will result in positive attitude and positive behavior. If a child is told they are stupid, lazy, dopey and any other negative term around, they will become that is what they will become. Parenting little kids are demonstrating by words and action that being good is better than being bad.
An overall parenting plan should include guidelines, rules, laws whatever a parent wants to call them, but it is an overall framework of what is expected of the kids as well as the parents. Boundaries and consequences must be part of the package. Parenting little kids means making them understand every action comes with a consequence. Sometimes the kids have to learn the hard way an action will have a negative result. Consequences, which is a fifty-cent word for punishment, must be appropriate for the age of the kids. The punishment must be carried out or the kids will have the upper hand.
Parenting little kids sometimes means letting the kids know when mom or dad made an error in judgment. Parents sometimes say or do something in a particularly aggravating moment that was unintended. The kids will want to send mom and dad to time out or take away computer or television privileges but perhaps make up for the error by allowing the kids an extra half hour of stay up time on a non school night or a trip to the ice cream store for a cone.
Leighonas Duforrific is the loving parent of two kids and loves writing about situations parents are usually faced with. Check out her Glenna Jean Kirby Crib Bedding Collection or the lovely Glenna Jean Ashton Collections.
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