How to be a Great Parent: Here are some tips on being a great parent, dad or mom
1. Show up and be there for your children. Children need you to support them and be there for their events, meetings, and show you care
2. Support and respect your children’s mother (father) Do not argue or put down the other parent and do not allow your child or other people to pit you against one another present a united front of agreement and be firm when need and flexible as long as you agree on other matters. Do not be wishy-washy.
3. Listen and earn, the right to be heard. One way to teach your children respect and to listen to you is you in turn listen to them because they too have a need to be heard not ignored or brushed off.
4. Be a good role model, teach by example; Children watch and emulate things you say and do so be aware of your behavior, speech, actions. They look up to us as parents and what we do they feel they should be able to also do.
5. Play with your children, and read to them; Children also learn by hearing you read them stories and it encourages them to learn to read, After reading, discuss what was read and what they liked about the story or did not like.
6. Children also learn and can have fun when you take time to play with them. Biking, hiking, swimming, fishing, board and outdoor games, Spend time playing, flying a kite, coloring in books just be there make cookies or a bird house. Make it fun.
7. Show your children affection and let them know you love them; Children need to know you love them, hug them, praise them for good things they do don’t just criticize them But give them hugs, pats and praise when they deserve it. Tell them your love them are proud of them
8. Help out, take and active role in housework, school work and other interests your children display. Take interest in their school work and art, projects or chores and help them to do things right or show them new ideas and concepts. Be active in their interests
9. Know and be known to the people in your children’s lives and world. A good parent knows his or her children’s friends and their parents and where they live, get to know them and they you. This is good for building freindship’s and for safety as well.
10. Discipline with love, compassion and understanding; Don’t just scream, scold and yell, or spank a child, make sure they KNOW what they did wrong, why it was wrong, and teach, Be loving and understanding and give hugs and forgiveness as well. Make the punishment fit the deed. They have to take money to replace a broken item or work it off, Take away a privilege for few hours couple days. Spank only on buttocks and rarely and only for dangerous things that could harm them or others. Sending a child to his/her room is not a good idea. Time out in a corner or on a chair for a few minutes is okay.
11. Keep a sense of humor. Don’t be overly stern and strict and lighten up find humor in situations and laugh when appropriate
12. Teach by example; Show children how to cook, clean, ride a bike, drive a car, show them by example
13. Spend quality time with your children; The time you spend with a child stays long in their memory time does not have be long time. But the quality of what you do is what is important. `15 minutes of fun things where you laugh, play, is better than an hour where boredom sets in.
14. Admit when you are wrong. Parents do make mistakes, assumptions so be ready to admit it and apologize for mistakes you make
15. Show your children that having emotion, to laugh but also to cry is okay even for men and boys to cry. It is okay to hug and give a pat on the back.
16. Give praise for little things as well as big ones; praise for a good job of coloring, brushing teeth, as well as tidy room or good job with grades in school work
17. Don’t bribe your children; Never make a deal with a child by saying if you do this I will pay you $5 or I will make you cookies, give you candy. Do not bribe them they need to learn responsibility and doing things because it is the right thing to do not because they get something all the time.
18. Show a united front with your wife/husband; If you do not want your child to see a movie, or have certain type of clothing or even friends stand firm together. Don’t back down or give in. Support one another in your decisions.
19. Don’t make unrealistic promises you can’t keep; Don’t promise $400 concert tickets if you cannot afford it. Don’t promise something that is not likely going to happen there are somethings you cannot control so make sure promises made you can keep.
20. If you have a valid reason where a promise made cannot be kept due to things beyond your control be ready to explain why, apologize and make it up as soon as you can. The car broke down, dad/mom was laid off out of work, sickness, are reasons that are valid and teach sometimes we get disappointment due to unexpected unforeseen circumstances we cannot control
20. Do not do or say anything you do not want your children to do, because they want to emulate you. Don’t swear and say filthy words if you don’t want the children to do so, or smoke or be drunk or do anything that you never want your children to do they will copy what you do.