Adventures in Parenting

It’s been said frequently that children do not come with a user’s manual. 

Does that mean parenting is learned on-the-job only? Do we approach parenting in a haphazard manner? Do we just “do the best we can” and just hope for the best?

Fortunately, the answers to those are NO!

There are plenty of resources out there to help parents. 

Whatever problem you are facing with your children, from potty training to handling a child involved in drugs, you are not alone.

I was talking with a friend whose wife had eclampsia during her pregnancy. It was a scary experience as their daughter was delivered prematurely, born 1 lb 14oz. But they found that eclampsia happens 1 in 40 pregnancies; it is not a rare occurrence . There is support there for them. They are not alone.

We are on Day 5 of our 30 Days to Better Parenting Challenge. Today, our task is to identify one area of parenting that you would like to improve, just one, and find some resources to help you.

Do you need help with time management or anger management? Or are you looking for a more effective way to get your kids to do their chores? Perhaps you need some creative ideas for discipline. If you have tweens, you might need some advice on appropriate ways to talk to them about sex.

Just off the top of my head I can think of 5 or 6 areas I could use help!

But our task today is to identify just ONE. Pick one that has been bothering you, and you know you need to make a change. Don’t procrastinate. Today is the day to make that change.
Simply Google the topic and read what other parents and experts are saying. There is so much free materials and information out there at our disposal. You don’t even have to buy self-help books anymore. Just Google it and you will find forums of discussion, websites and blogs on that topic.

I love searching for other parents’ advice because it helps me to connect with other parents going through similar situations. I have not found a problem that someone else has not gone through! There is nothing new under the sun.
So be encouraged that you are not alone and there is plenty of help available to you.

As with any job, we need continuing education to improve our skills. Let’s take the time to seek out resources to help us be better parents today.

Photo by jessiebarber