Isn’t it strange that one of the most important jobs we will ever undertake in our lives (that of raising our children) comes without any requirement of preparation, training or qualification. We wouldn’t consider undergoing surgery by an unqualified doctor. We wouldn’t dream of being schooled by unqualified teachers.
To help readdress this imbalance, over the next coming months these pages will be dedicated to providing a “Parenting 101” if you will. The advice will be collected from worldwide experts on the topic of parenting and presented in an easy to navigate list that you can dip into as you wish.
I’ve heard a number of parents say “my child never came with a manual” or “things may have been different if someone had taught me how to raise my kids” and this is my attempt to help them out. The challenge with this kind of assignment is that experts differ on certain teachings. Some may say “ease up” whilst others would say “crack down”. To tackle this, where possible and where relevant I will give the source of the advice and also the counter-advice is such exists. Then you can make up your mind.
My partner says that when she first heard all of the conflicting advice about how to parent her first child she was confused and a little dazed! Until, that is, another parent told her that the best thing she could do was listen to all the ideas and then do what she felt was right for her. That’s great advice. As a parent, your duty is be as informed as possible and then decide what the best course of action is for your particular situation.
We’ll do the research and you can then decide what works best for you. Good luck… and remember you’re not alone!
Lesson One: The Four Styles of Parenting
According to many parenting coaches, there are 4 styles of parenting and most parents inadvertantly utilize at least one of these. Effective parenting only happens when one particular style is implemented, but utilizing the others in moderation can also be effective. Read about them here.
