Complexity of parenting

I'm a weird parent. Many people have either questioned or wondered about my parenting methods. I'm not claiming to be a great parent or that I'll ever win some sort of award for parenting. But, I do believe I am on to something with some of my methods.

We'll focus on the positives before getting to the negatives. The biggest item is responsibility. If you have a child that is hungry to learn, feed them! In America especially, we coddle young children when they're at their toughest. Young people are very resilient, yet we don't allow them to push themselves in multiple areas. My daughter started doing her own laundry at 6 years old. She said she wanted to learn, so I taught her. We never did her laundry again. She might be tired of doing it now that's she's 22, but she does it!

The other biggest thing is being honest with them. Even with your faults. Who should they learn from more than you? Sometimes kids learn most about what not to do by watching you fail at it. If you say don't do this but you do it that's one thing. But if they live the struggle with you they might have a different perspective. Instead of keeping them away be honest with them on the specifics of how you became addicted or whatever the situation is. I am not afraid to confess my shortcomings to my kids. I'm not quite an open book, but they see things to help them learn. My bank account is an example of what most parents don't share with their children. My parents never shared their struggles with me. As I got older My respect grew but through trial and error. I wish they would have vented about their stresses. We would have learned through them!

The last thing is multi-faceted. In addition to being real with them, love them! That means hugging and saying I love you. You'd be surprised at how much this part helps.

That's really to me the most important things to consider with raising children. I'm not in the clear, and that's what you'll learn as a parent. Parenting is never done. If you want to be a role model? You'll never be done. I plan to always being there for my kids like my parents have been. Well, my dad passed away 6 years ago, but he embodied these fundamentals. I hope to learn more soon as well. In 2016 have a 22 year old, 18 year old, and a 16 year old.