| With every parenting situation a plethora of demands | | | | time to understand your children. Patience is required |
| is made upon the parent. Fortunately many problems | | | | while children are learning new skills. Patience is |
| can be prevented or solved with the application of a | | | | required is nearly everything you do with your children |
| few skills. These skills apply no matter the age of your | | | | because they will do it slower or with less skill than you |
| child. | | | | believe they are capable of. Patience is an asset to |
| The first skill is good communication. What job or | | | | parenting because you will need to tell your children ten |
| problem cannot be improved with better | | | | thousand times to cover their cough and blow their |
| communication? You need to express your thoughts | | | | nose in a tissue before they begin to remember on |
| and desires to your children, and you need to | | | | their own. |
| understand the same from your children. It is up to you | | | | Behavior management is a fundamental parenting skill. |
| as the parent to set a good example of | | | | Kids cannot help it that they have short attention |
| communication by being specific and clear in your | | | | spans in certain situations, so do not be surprised what |
| requests. You should be honest about everything | | | | your little angels can get up to. Try to anticipate what |
| including your feelings. However you need to be the | | | | your children will do in certain situations and be |
| mature one (you are the adult, after all) and put | | | | prepared to distract them or remove less desirable |
| possibly explosive emotions on hold until all the facts | | | | elements from the scene. Try preparing them by |
| are in. Your children cannot be mind readers, but you | | | | gradual exposures to more challenging situations. Keep |
| need to strive to be mind readers of your children. In | | | | them busy in safe and acceptable activities. |
| trying to get to the bottom of what your child is trying | | | | The final parenting skill is to show love. Depending on |
| to communicate to you, listen with patience. Rephrase | | | | your own upbringing, you may find this a natural |
| what you believe your child said to be sure you | | | | extension of your personality or you may need to |
| understood and encourage them to tell you more. Give | | | | apply more effort. If you are inclined to be reticent, |
| them your eye contact. | | | | make it a rule that you will always speak up and give |
| Consistency is a foundation of trust and stability in a | | | | praise when you notice good things about your child. |
| family. Be careful what you say, threaten or promise, | | | | Realize that parental love does not permit a child to do |
| because you must follow-through with consistency to | | | | whatever they desire, but it has the child's best |
| be taken seriously. Children feel safer knowing what to | | | | interests in mind always. |
| expect from the adults in their lives. Children will often | | | | These are just a few skills that parents will employ at |
| test your resolve to follow the boundaries you have | | | | every age of their children. In the end, love will cover |
| set, but consistency is the course they ultimately desire | | | | up an abundance of mistakes that a parent may |
| from you. | | | | make as they are learning, too. Applying your best |
| Another parenting skill is patience. Patience is taking the | | | | efforts to parenting is well worth it. |