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Developing Your Baby's Language
Children can develop language skills only if they have many opportunities to talk, listen and use language to solve problems and learn about the world. Long before your child enters school, you can do many things to help her develop language. You...
How to While Away a Winter Sunday Afternoon with the Kids & Teach a Little EQ at the Same Time
1. Take care of the birds.
First spend some time learning about birds. Check out the bird photo library ( http://birding.about.com/library/weekly/aa020100a.htm ). Download free kids kit "Learn about Backyard Birds" (...
Maturing As a Parent
I have three children, ages 19 and 16 (yes, the 16 year-olds are twins!) My older son just mailed his college deposit and will leave for school sometime in August. Thinking back over the past few years, I’ve just realized my children have been...
OOPS! Did I forget the Free Fun.
In my recent article “Kids Just Wanna Have Fun” I offered some ideas to keep your fun hungry kids happy. But, duhhhhh. . .I forgot the FREE FUN STUFF! Well ya’ know that’s the most important stuff. I don’t know where my mind was that day! So,...
VALENTINE'S DAY SNOWFLAKE CONTEST
Empowered Parent Snowflake Contest To enter the Empowered Parent Snowflake contest, click on the design of your choice and either make one of these 4 patterns, or create your very own original! Send the completed snowflake to: JB Information...
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Parenting Failure? - It May Not Be All It Seems!
I'll never forget my first lesson in a glider.
I'd been interested in gliding, or soaring as it's known in
the USA, for some time - and now the big day had arrived.
As I approached the airfield the words of some 'friends'
came back to haunt me. 'Going up in a sailplane without an
engine? You must be mad! How these things stay up there in
empty space is beyond me!'
After a lesson or two on the principles of flight, it was
time to take to the air. And I needn't have worried about
'empty space' . . .
If ever there was a case of things not being as they seemed,
this was it.
Empty space? You must be joking!
Five minutes in a glider (or sailplane) teaches you that
it's anything but 'empty space' up there.
I was amazed at the buffeting and whipping of the air
currents and the sheer power of the thermals as they pushed
the plane upward, like a giant hand from below.
The question soon changed from 'How are we going to stay
up?' to 'How on earth are we going to get down?'
But it's all about manipulation of the control surfaces on
the plane, and soon we glided to a smooth and safe landing.
Often in life, perhaps even more so in parenting, things are
not as they seem.
Here's a common scenario. A parent has been reading up on
positive thinking, self-development, parenting skills or
such like.
They feel good and are dutifully putting everything into
practice.
Then out of the blue - WHUMP! There's a major confrontation
with one of our teens that leaves us drained, bedraggled and
crawling off in search of a corner where we can lick our
emotional wounds.
The steely glint of failure mocks our efforts.
But wait! All is not as it seems . . .
In recent years we've come to realise that every situation
has potential for good AND bad. Some call it the Law Of
Opposites.
Let's illustrate it with another example. Say you make a
sacrifice and give money to the poor.
That's good. It helps them get on their feet, and generosity
is good for your personal development.
So what could possibly be 'bad' in that situation?
It's POSSIBLE that giving so 'generously' could make you
feel smug and 'superior'. It could lead to a 'Holier than
thou!'
attitude. And the receiver could eventually become
dependent on hand-outs from others.
Not good!
So let's get back to that volcanic blow-up with our teens!
No possibility for good there? Think again.
Lick the wounds by all means, but rest assured that every
situation has a lesson for us.
All we have to do is open ourselves to the possibility.
So when we retreat, let's ask ourselves some questions and
be brutally honest in our appraisal:
* In that situation did I keep my cool?
* Was I positive in my attitude?
* What kind of language did I use?
* Did I come over as patronizing, sarcastic, impatient,
intolerant, 'superior', huffy?
* Or was I supportive, patient, tolerant, mature, assertive,
helpful, confident?
* Was my approach reasonable or in some way self-serving?
In short, was I modelling the type of behaviour I would
want them to adopt?
If the answer is yes, then you can feel strong and
confident, knowing that any sanctions you apply are just and
reasonable.
If the answer is no, what can you learn from this?
Use this opportunity to strengthen and develop yourself, and
prepare to handle it better next time.
In your path toward parenting progress, then, all may not be
as it seems.
Apparent failures - especially when we thought we were
making it! - can be opportunities to take our progress to
the next level.
Remember the people who couldn't understand how a glider
stayed in the air without an engine? Just because they
couldn't SEE the ridges of air pressure or the thermals
which push the plane upward, doesn't mean they're not there.
In the same way, situations that may APPEAR to bring us down
can in fact be the very 'thermals' (which are hot air!) to
push us upward to the next level - if we let them.
Happy parenting!
About the Author
Frank McGinty's writes motivational books for both parents and teenagers. If you want to develop your parenting skills and encourage your kids to be all they can be, visit his web pages,
http://www.frank-mcginty.com/peace-formula.html AND http://www.frank-mcginty.com/for-parents.html
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