Ten Basic Principles of Good Parenting
Reading Time: 2 minutes I was feeling introspective about my parenting as I thought about the New Year. Most of us feel “the guilt” when we look back and think we really should have done things differently. I did a vlog today (click HERE or on the video below to watch) on my top 5 parenting regrets; it nearly killed me. Until I actually said them all out loud, I never realized how damaging a parent (read: me) can be to their (read: my) children.
After that, I decided I needed some encouraging words to share here since the video made me a little sad. Nothing like a little sweet and sour!
I turned to a book for guidance: The Ten Basic Principles of Good Parenting, by Laurence Steinberg, PhD.
Laurence Steinberg’s Ten Basic Principles of Good Parenting:
- What you do matters.
- You cannot be too loving.
- Be involved in your child’s life.
- Adapt your parenting to fit your child
- Establish and set rules.
- Foster your child’s independence.
- Be consistent.
- Avoid harsh discipline.
- Explain your rules and decisions.
- Treat your child with respect.
Steinberg says these are good for anyone who is interacting with children: teachers, child care providers, parents, baby sitters, grandparents, etc. His words seem so ordinary, so “been there, heard that,” however his examples and reasoning make perfect sense.
It is always good to get a little extra encouragement when facing an enormous task, especially one as important as raising amazing children!
-Kara a.k.a. Epic Engineer-