Parenting

I know you are all thinking... this 22 year old, who has never been married or had children is going to give us advice about parenting styles?! I agree, I have no personal experience as a parent, but I have been a child. I have seen and been apart of successful circumstances as well as moments of confusion and failure in family life. I am sure we all have and I would invite all of you to make comments if you have ideas or stories pop up as you read this post.

First off, what is the purpose of parenting? Here are a few ideas, to help teach independence, help children learn to understand emotions and how to take care of their bodies. Parents can bring order to a Childs life. The one role I believe is most important of a parent is to help a child prepare for their heavenly roles. I would say that parents learn just as much if not more as a child is growing.

Dr. Popkins gives a few ideas that really stood out to me. He mentioned that by the time children are teens the only real tool that a parents has to influence them is the relationship they have together. I can say amen to this principle. I can remember a specific experience in high school, I was so frustrated with my mom, I felt like she was trying to dictate how I lived my life. She didn't agree with a few of my decisions. It wasn't until she sat down and tried to understand me that I was able to open up to her, she was able to describe to me why she was concerned. If we wouldn't have had a strong relationship before that experience it would have been a lot harder to open up to her.

He also talks about problem handling. We should think to ourselves, who owns this problem, that doesn't mean whose fault is it? As well as who is most affected by the problem. Parents often want to come in and save the day! They don't want their kids to hurt and go through hard things... problem is life is hard. We should let them feel the effect of life and love them through it! Help them come up with a game plan. He gives the exceptions to letting the natural consequences come to pass, they are too dangerous, too far in the future, someone else is affected by them.When these three points arise the problem them becomes the parents too.

Here is a website that gives a little more information about Dr. Popkin.

http://www.activeparenting.com/About-Michael_Popkin  

I want to simply testify that parenthood is part of Gods plan! How blessed of a people are we to get to  get to experience it. We get the opportunity to learn how to be more loving and merciful as our Heavenly Father. Just as he has not taken our agency away we cannot take away our children's. I hope a few of these thoughts have helped spark ideas of how you can now or in the future be a better parent.