Parenting Tips
Love your children. Love them constantly and unconditionally to give them security.
Use positive discipline. Say “Do this” more than “Don’t do that”. Be consistent, be clear about rules, be reasonable, be authoritative.
Listen. Listen to your child and encourage them to express their true feelings.
Be good to yourself. Time alone is important to your well-being.
Develop mutual respect. Insist on good manners within the family as a fundamental form of respect.
Teach right from wrong. State your own moral values and discuss them with your children.
Spend time together. Play just for fun and use family activities to build family spirit.
Offer guidance. Be brief and encourage your child to come up with his own solutions.
Encourage independence. Let children make minor decisions then slowly increase their responsibility.
Be realistic. Expect to make mistakes but follow your own common sense.
Parenting Tips for November
This time of year gets very hectic for families. Thanksgiving is near and Christmas is just around the corner. We, as parents, need to bring our children’s thoughts to a better place by pointing out the true meaning of each holiday. Thanksgiving is a great time to let your child know how lucky he/ she is and that we need to be thankful for all our blessings. Below are a few things you can do with your child that will turn thoughts to the positive aspects of our holiday seasons. I hope you all have a great Thanksgiving!
Nancy Stone, Parent Involvement Educator
1. Clean out closets and toy boxes with your child. Donate to charity anything that does not fit or isn’t played with anymore. Explain to your child that there are children less fortunate than they are and that donating toys and clothes will help them. It will also make your child feel good to be helping others.
2. Ask your child to tell you about the best day of his/her life. What made it so special for your child? You may find that what made it so special was some small thing in our eyes but to your child, it was the best thing ever. Little things mean a lot.
3. Ask your child what changes he/she would make if they were elected president of the United States. Help your child to see that change may be necessary to make things better for our world.
4. Share your fondest memories by telling your child some of your childhood stories. Children learn a lot from the past. They will love hearing stories about you when you were a child.
5. Let your child name something he/she is thankful for everyday this month. Expressing gratitude helps us realize how lucky we are.
6. Tell your child you love him/her, today and everyday.
