Some Tips On Parenting

If you follow me on any social media forum, you know I have two boys. T (Tony III) who is 9 and Tayden who is 2 1/2. This post is going to be more about T, not because I don't think Tayden doesn't have these same qualities but he is just so young so most of these things don't apply to him as of yet.

T is by no means no perfect. He will get in trouble every now and then for talking in class or just being a boy but he is one of the most well rounded kids I know. He goes to a college prep school and gets straight A's. Not only straight A's but almost perfect grades. Out of 12  grades, 8 are 100's, 1 is a 99, 1 is a 98, and 2 96's. He has won the regional spelling bee three years in a row. He plays the trumbone and plays chess. He plays Pop Warner football, travel/competitive soccer, and basketball. He loves the Lord and and is very respectful. He says yes ma'am, yes sir to everyone he meats. So when I say well rounded that's what I mean.

Of course every kid is different but I think there are some core things that help him be successful at life.

Structure: As much as you want to be the cool parent and your kids best friend, your child will flourish with structure. They may resist and not like it first but once they adjust, you will see a change. That structure provides stability and when kids have something they can trust to be a constant it helps them tremendously.

Active Parenting: TV and video games cannot raise your kids. I am by no means one of those moms that says oh an hour of tv a day is all my kids can watch etc. I am saying that if your kids are watching tv, make sure you know what they are watching. T rarely gets to watch TV during the week because of his busy schedule but when he does, it's a movie, sports, or he watches what his little brother watches on TV. And he is only allowed to play video games on the weekend but its in limited portions at a time. He is one of the few kids that'll choose to play outside with his friends when he gets free time rather than sitting in front of the tv all day.

Tell Them Why: Your kids are smarter than you think they are. Just saying no without an explanation or reason just makes them want to rebel. I explain to T why he cant do certain things and explain to him the consequences of things he wants to do. And because he understands and it makes sense, he doesnt fight me or try to rebel.

Tough Love: I am really strict with T with certain things like respect but I am also extremely loving and rewarding. It is really important to find the balance between the two. Because of how much I do for T and the love I show them, when I discipline him he understands its because I care and he chooses to listen and make changes because of that.

I am not a perfect parent and I am learning as I go, but these are few tips that have helped me so far.

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