would you share parenting successes?

Parenting begins with love and love is the main ingredient. There are times when it will break your heart to stand your ground but love must at times correct even if your child really dislikes what boundries you are setting. Patience is a part of love. You must be patient if a child is not responding to something like potty training. It is not your schedule that works but your child's development schedule that works. Love and encouragement are always appropriate unless a child is being very willful and rebellious. Now how do you figure that out? You ask your Father - Your Heavenly Father - on how you should approach every situation. You acknowledge to God that He is your guide and you learn all you can. You make sure that what you have learned lines up with God's Word by asking God if what you are learning follows Christ as the Apostle Paul exhorted. A child needs to be taught everything. Spend time with them. Let them watch TV and teach them what programs are acceptable and which are not. Equip them to make good decisions in their life. Encourage your child. Their self-worth comes from you. Teach them how God the Father loves them by showing them love. Show them that there are some things that are not acceptable like lying, stealing, etc. Teach them that you will not tolerate these things and set a fine example yourself. Guard your child's creativity. Do not allow others to put your child down or for your child to pick on others. We are all God's people but sometimes we sure don't act like it. When a child asks a question, be honest and give them the answer or tell them you don't know and then make it an adventure where you and the child search out the answer through prayer, the library, reference books you have around the house. Take advantage of every teachable moment. Don't panic if your child is hooked on a baby blanket, bottle, or pacifier. Realize that you do not see too many teens with these items. Somehow we do give them up. In other words, don't sweat the small stuff. Teach your children to eat things that are good for them. Feed them vegetables for lunch and dinner. Make sure they are hungry (not filled full of snacks) when they come to the table. Serve up the cooked vegetables first (small portions to get used to a taste). You eat the vegetables too in front of them and talk about how good they taste. When the vegetables are eaten, then serve up the meat and potatoes, etc. They will grow up liking the things that will build a strong body. Make sure your child gets a lot of exercise. Go for walks, etc. The list could be a mile long, but I think this is a good start. Everyday that you spend with you child is a memory for when they are older and they will draw on these experiences to live their life. Love them, set the example, spend time, be patient, but most of all lean on God and read, read, read. Talk to older people who have raised children who are well-adjusted, etc. You will never know all the answers but how could you, each child is different and each child needs their own individual approach. Only God can guide you on your knees on this one that is why they are not born with an instruction tag attached to their toe!

spoiled311 well my mom and granddad never took any parenting classes but I seemed to have turned out okay. We were taught God was a God of love,not a God to be feared.we were also taught to be self sufficient, to depend on ourselves, and we grew up on the farm, helping out as a matter of course,just something most farm kids do or did when I was growing u p. You need to learn to follow your gut instincts and not have to depend on a stack of how tos. Most parents do know how to raise children if they just trust in themselves.It is a sort of learn as you work thing, and always show love and respect to your children as they grow. they will learn to respect you because you respected and loved them. and always be there for a small child when he or she wants to or needs to tell you something. listen really listen to what they have to say.Even toddlers can be shown how to help with something and they will feel so proud of 'helping. this can be fostered and carried out through the rest of their lives.

I'm a Grandparent 4 times over, having raised 4 good boys in the days when no one payed any attention to parenting at all. Everybody did it, no one had any problems with it, and most kids seemed to do all right with it. If there is anything that I can pass on that would be helpful it would be to teach your child to be self sufficient. (Unto your own self be true!) I never taught my boys to Fear God,because My God is a God of Love (of whom there was no reason to be fearful) Fear is like a debilitating disease, as opposed to Love which is All fulfilling, and all encompassing!