Copyright
© 2012 by Dorothy Howard
ISBN 9781456611842
All rights reserved. The reproduction or utilization of this work in whole in part, in any form by any print, electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including xerography, photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system is forbidden without the written permission of the publisher.
Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of any copyrighted materials in any form. To do so is a violation of the author’s rights.
Terms of Use
Any information provided in this book is through the author’s interpretation. The author has done strenuous work to reassure the accuracy of this subject. If you wish you attempt any of the practices provided in this book, you are doing so with your own responsibility. The author will not be held accountable for any misinterpretations or misrepresentations of the information provided here.
All information provided is done so with every effort to represent the subject, but does not guarantee that your life will change. The author shall not be held liable for any direct or indirect damages that result from reading this book.
Contents
Introduction
Chapter 1: You
Chapter 2: Optimism
Chapter 3: Raising a Child In Today’s Society
Chapter 4: Raising a Child With Special Needs
Chapter 5: Core Strategies to Handle Discipline
Bringing in the good behavior
Taking out the bad behavior
Chapter 6: Sustaining Open Communication
Chapter 7: Play With Your Kids
Chapter 8: Eating the Right Stuff
Chapter 9: Bullying and the Art of Gaining Self Confidence
Conclusion
Introduction
As parents, many of us face various trials and tribulations. Just when you think that you have seen it all, something new happens that you have not encountered yet.
Every child is different and with each child comes an entirely new set of experiences.
Someone once said that if being a parent was a paying gig, then some of us would be the richest people in the world. But unfortunately, it is not.
And raising kids is getting harder and harder each and every day.
So as parents, we constantly have to keep reinventing the parenting wheel. We have to constantly be aware of what is going on in the world around us and how to deal with each situation that we go through.
The job of parenting a child never ends. Even after you are retired and have all of your children married off, you are still a parent.
Whether or not your kids come to you for parenting advice or simply to have a shoulder to cry on when something bad happens, your children will still need you.
In today’s society, it has become much harder to raise children that are well rounded adults. The American Psychiatric Association stated that before a child turns 18, they will have witnessed approximately 18,000 simulated murders and 200,000 acts of violence as a result of watching television and movies.
It has been reported that 46% of high school students in the U.S. have had sexual intercourse. Roughly 1 in 4 sexually active teens have been diagnosed with an STD.
During the fall 2001- spring 2002 television season, 64% of all television shows depicted sexual content, resulting in 4.4 scenes per hour.
That same study also showed that students that were well guided by parents were more likely to remain virgins throughout high school.
This book will show you everything that we have found to have worked in raising kids to become better adults.
We will show various methodologies that have worked in getting you to the point where your children will make the right choices not because they have to, but because they want to. None of what we have here is completely full proof, so you will have to experiment and see what exactly works the best for you and your family.
We hope that you enjoy what we have to offer and that you find much success in implementing the ideas that we have set forth.
Chapter 1: You
“Live so that when your children think of fairness and integrity, they think of you.” - H. Jackson Brown, Jr.
No one ever said that raising a child was going to be easy. We all wish that every child came with a User’s Manual. Unfortunately they do not. We checked.
Each child is like clay. When it arrives, it is just a giant ball. Through proper guidance, it can be crafted into a magnificent piece of art. The clay has to be nurtured through each phase until it is a finished product. If left alone before it is completed, the clay may weaken and lead to the masterpiece falling apart. If given to a new artist, it may be rendered with a few mistakes in it.
When a new baby arrives, it is in its’ most pliable state. Its’ personality is still being developed and is being constantly molded by what the newborn sees and hears around it.
The job of parents is to take what has already been formed and turn it into a well-rounded adult. It is important to remember through each phase the kid goes through that the child is still developing. The child will often, through their own level of maturity, do things that will test the patience of its’ parents.
The child is constantly developing and redefining what is known as “Right” and “Wrong”. Therefore, it is important for parents to remember that their role is more of a “Guider” than a “Dictator”.
So let us move on to the first lesson…
“It All Begins With You!”
If you are expecting your first child, congratulations!
But if you have already given birth, the odds are that you know that you had no idea what you were really in for when your child was born. The truth is that no one really does with their first child. It’s like the artist and the clay. The new artist will render the sculpture with a few mistakes in it. They surely don’t mean to do this. It is simply just the artist learning the many ways in which not to make a sculpture.
So the point here is that as a parent, you will make mistakes with your first child simply because you don’t know what you are in for. There is nothing wrong with that. You are also learning how to parent your children.
The fact that you have acquired this book and have read it this far means that you are serious about making changes in your home so that you can live in peace and harmony and raise a loving family. This book is an attempt to give you a clean slate and show you some things that have worked for other parents in raising well rounded adults.
We begin the transition with the most important lesson in the book…you.
Here are the key factors in changing yourself so that your children will be able to grow up to be well rounded adults:
Children are sponges. They soak up everything. If you don’t want your child to watch bad movies or use foul language, then make sure they do not see you watching them or using foul language.
Remember, you are their role model. As a role model, it is important for you to uphold the same kind of integrity that you would like for your children to have. If you would like to have your kids be more charitable, then have them help you do something that is charitable.
If there is someone