Thursday, May 7, 2009

Parenting Tips

By Jane Bear

Being a parent is one of the toughest jobs anyone may ever have. It is an ongoing process that teaches parents new things each day and leaves much more that needs to be learned before they become a good parent. There are various styles of parents, and each of them has it's own style and characteristics. Basically, there are four styles of parenting namely: authoritarian, permissive, authoritative (also known as egalitarian), and uninvolved.

The first style is authoritarian; these are typically parents who seem to come off as overly strict and even bossy. Authoritarian parents believe in absolute obedience and their children are often more successful in the long run. Some children may seem afraid or fearful of their authoritarian parents, but these parents often encourage communication and encourage their children to be independent.

The second parenting style is the indulgent or permissive parent. Permissive or indulgent parents are generally lenient. They allow a variety of behaviors by their children that some would even describe as immature. Essentially, they let their children look after themselves and they avoid confronting them at all costs.

Another parent style is that of the authoritative parent. Authoritative parents are both demanding and responsive at the same time. While expecting their children to behave in a certain manner, authoritative parents don't impose their authority and welcome a certain amount of questioning. Parents demonstrate a combination of assertiveness coupled with the ability to respond to their children's feedback.

The fourth parent style is uninvolved parents. Those in this category are basically detached from their children in a way where structure and discipline is almost non-existent. They lack the desire and intention to take on responsibility either because they are incapable or circumstance is preventing them from practicing good parent skills.

There are the basics of parenting that every parent should know and these are: being kind to your children, being a good role model, and always keeping lines of communication open. It is never okay to demean your children, instead use positive methods to discipline a child. You should be warm, share interests, and spend time with your kids. In being a good role model to your children, think of everything you want to teach your children and then just do it in front of them every day. Always remember to keep all avenues of conversation open. Good parenting means talking to your kids about important things in life. Let them know that they can tell you anything that happens to them without fear of being rejected.

In relation to parental controls, children nowadays spend a great deal of their childhood playing on the computer and surfing the web and this can be a great source of frustration for many parents. Parents initially welcomed the Internet into their homes, believing it would provide their children with access to a bottomless pit of beneficial and educational information. However, many parents soon realized that their kids were spending hours surfing inappropriate and undesirable websites. Henceforth, when trying to establish the right balance, it is necessary to take some kind of parental controls over your child's computer and Internet use.

In simple terms, parenting just means loving your child and teaching him/ her to be a rounded and caring individual. Children need understanding, love, and a certain guiding hand, which will help them make appropriate choices. - 22783

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