| Parenting is the toughest, most important job most | | | | clearly demonstrated they are in no position to offer it. |
| people will ever encounter and yet there is no license | | | | However, there is often some really good advice |
| required, no training required, and no 24/7 hotline. This is | | | | shared by people you know and trust as well as good |
| rather short-sighted on the part of society as the cost | | | | advice offered by passing strangers in the |
| of bad parenting is immense, but in truth the situation is | | | | supermarket checkout line or in the stands at a soccer |
| not as dire as it seems. While no training is required for | | | | game. Be a sponge. Keep your ears open. You don't |
| new parents, it is very easy for parents to learn the | | | | have to take that advice but keeping your options |
| ways and means of good parents as well as the | | | | open gives you the chance to sort out the jewels and |
| traps and pitfalls of bad parents. All it takes for parents | | | | benefit from them. |
| to learn more about parenting is to watch, listen, and | | | | Be an active learner. Seek out information when you |
| learn. | | | | face a parenting challenge. Perhaps your child is acting |
| Watching is a key element to learning more about | | | | out in a new way and your old discipline technique isn't |
| parenting. Watch the parents around you and you can | | | | working. Search the internet, flip through parenting |
| learn all sorts of lessons about how to interact with | | | | books, and ask some experts in your circle of friends. |
| your child, how to discipline your child, and how to | | | | Sometimes great advice will come to you but other |
| teach your child. Almost everywhere you take your | | | | times you will need to seek it out. The more proactive |
| child there will be other parents and their children. | | | | you are about finding solutions to your parenting |
| Watching means observing but also listening. Hear the | | | | problems then the better parent you will become. |
| tone of voice as well as the words those parents use. | | | | Parenting is a challenging job, no question about it, but it |
| Some parents use the right words but their tone and | | | | also comes with wonderful built-in rewards. Some |
| physical manner contradicts those words. Watch the | | | | times parents are forced to take a tough unpopular |
| children to note their response. Some children respond | | | | stand but in the end good parenting comes with its |
| more readily to their parents. Why? What is different | | | | own rewards. Those rewards include a happy, |
| about that parent-child relationship? What can you | | | | successful child and a warm, loving relationship that will |
| take away for your own parent-child relationship? | | | | extend long past childhood and span the rest of your |
| Listen to advice. You don't need to take every piece | | | | life. So who needs special training. If you watch, listen, |
| of advice that is offered to you. After all, there are | | | | and learn then you can be the parent you want to be |
| many people who are free with advice and yet have | | | | and your child deserves. |