| |
| |
|
Parenting Information |
|
|
|
The Twenty-First Century Parent
John was a 43 year-old sales manager at a large company. He's married and has 3 children, ages 7, 9, and 12. His wife works part-time as a nursing assistant, and they both do as much as they can to parent their children well. John has developed serious doubts about his ability to be an effective parent in the last couple of years. All of his kids are involved in after school activities, and his demands at work are greater than they've ever been. His lack of time with his kids bothers him a great deal, but he doesn't dare take more time off from work. He's also bothered by his inability to get his kids to listen to him, and he's resorted to yelling and threats as measures of discipline. John's family seems rushed all the time, and the routines in the morning and at bedtime are almost always chaotic. He often doesn't have the energy when he gets home from work to spend quality time with his kids, and he feels his relationships with them are growing more distant. In particular, he's struggling with his twelve-year-old daughter's behavior. John feels he has little in common with her at this stage in their lives. Welcome to the life of an American parent in the 21st century. There are many reasons that parenting today is more difficult than in years past. Here are a few of them: ? The typical, middle income married couple family works 3,885 hours - that's an increase of 247 hours, or nearly six weeks, more than their counterparts ten years ago. ? Working couples lost an average of 22 hours a week of family and personal time between 1969 and 1999. ? In the last three decades, American families are eating 33% fewer meals together as a family. ? In 1990, the American advertisers spent 100 million dollars advertising to children. In 2000, they spent 2 billion dollars in their advertising to children. Alvin Toffler once said, "Parenthood remains the greatest single preserve of the amateur." For too long, parents have taken on the most important job they'll ever have with little or no training. Parents can't afford to be amateurs anymore. They must arm themselves with the knowledge, support, and discipline needed to parent their kids effectively. They must take responsibility for the impact their parenting will have on their children. And they must recognize that in today's culture, their kids need them to be there more than ever. In John's case, hiring a coach helped him to: ? Simplify the life of his family, so they could spend more time together. ? Learn positive discipline skills, so the daily routines went more smoothly and there were fewer conflicts. ? Develop a plan to put in place when he got angry, so he wouldn't do or say something he'd regret later. ? Learn stress reduction skills, both at work and at home, and to learn how to "transition" between work and home. ? Learn how to be less judgmental with his daughter, and to find specific ways to be more connected with her. Though parenthood can be extremely difficult and challenging at times, it can also be incredibly fulfilling and enjoyable. Most of us would never think of starting a new career without the information and training necessary to be effective. Do we think our job as a parent is less important? Effective parenting skills can be learned by anyone who cares enough to commit to them, and by anyone who knows the importance of good parenting to the future of their kids. It's time for parents to consider ways they can improve. It may be the best investment they'll ever make. Mark Brandenburg MA, CPCC, coaches busy parents by phone to balance their life and improve their family relationships. For a FREE twenty minute sample session by phone; ebooks, courses, articles, and a FREE newsletter, go to http://www.markbrandenburg.com or email him at mark@markbrandenburg.com.
MORE RESOURCES:
Parenting - Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
How Public Schools Coerce Parents Into Giving Mind-Altering Drugs To Their Children Despite the potentially dangerous side-effects of Ritalin, public school authorities now pressure many parents to give Ritalin to their children so these kids won't "act up" in school.Naturally, most parents don't want to drug their children just because they are unruly, bored in class, or high-spirited. Teenagers and Stress: What Parents Can Do to Help More and more parents are expressing their concerns about how to support their teenagers who are complaining about the stress in their lives.What parents may not realize, is that what they do every day by providing healthy food, support, and a comforting home, provides the very stress-antidotes their teens need. Dads - What Family Legacy Are You Passing On to Your Children? Do you want to create a deeper, more loving relationship with your child?To begin, you can learn from your own father:Whether you consider him to have been a good father or not, you can use your experience to become a better parent to YOUR children.Patterns of behavior are often passed on unconsciously from one generation to the next. 8 Tips To Save On Child Care Costs Child care costs are are one of the most expensive costs associated with going back to work. Finding ways to cut down on child care costs without sacrificing quality child care is a top priority for all working parents. Motivation - The Key to Your Childs Educational Success For the first year or two of life outside the womb, our brains are in the most impressionable state they will ever be in. A baby's brain is immediately shaped by interacting with their environment. Family Meetings Are Now On The Agenda "Not another meeting!"That tends to be the reaction from many parents when they hear the M word mentioned. Parents tend to associate meetings with the workplace rather than families. When A Parent Is Deployed When a parent is deployed with the military it can be very traumatic for the children left behind. Having things for them to do, that makes them feel a part of the family and helping the parent who is gone, is really important. Back to School - Disappontment? Our back-to-school buying habits do not help kids succeed in the classroom!Parents are buying new book bags, school clothes, tennis shoes, notebooks, pens, etc., with the mistaken belief that this will help their child succeed in school. Raising Happy Diabetic Kids Part III Help Your Child Develop Self-Control This is the third and final article in a series I wrote about raising happy diabetic kids. While Juvenile Diabetes makes this job tougher the information in these articles applies to raising any child. Where Will YOUR Kids Get A Job? Let's face it.The job market is getting tougher every day. Ultimate Airplane Themed Games & Activities for your Childs Birthday Party Are you looking for the Ultimate Airplane Themed Party Games and Activities? Well stop looking because they are right here.. Small Children, Languages and Myths Our children are growing up bilingual in the French part of Canada - Québec. "That's fine", says everyone. Old-Fashioned Ways to Inspire Children "Walk through any toy store and you will see walls and walls of toys that are loud -- toys that require batteries, have flashing lights, or that look like your child's favorite movie character. What is there for parents who want to raise children with imagination and curiosity? I'll tell you what we do. Parents Dealing with Worry and Fear Dear Vijay,I worry about not being a good parent. My daughter Tracy is six and my son Michael is four. Playing Safe Do you really want your child to enjoy playing with a toy that was made on the other side of the world by people who are no more than children themselves, and paid 30 cents an hour - a paltry sum that can barely sustain them? Unfortunately, all too often, that's exactly what you're doing.I'm not suggesting that anybody who does this is uncaring and selfish - when we buy these toys it's usually because we don't know any better. Helping Your Child Develop Here are some things that you can do to help your child develop.Show your child that you care about him and that you are dependable. Exposing the Damage: TV and Kids There are millions of young children in this country who are being terribly mistreated by their parents.These parents aren't physically abusing their young children, and they may not even know that they're mistreating them. A Legacy For Dakota Have you heard the song; "I Hope You Dance"? It is by Lee Ann Womak. I love that song. Educational Toys - How Do Parents Choose The Best Toys For Their Child The choices are mind numbing. Walk into any toy store or the toy section of any department store and there are shelves and tiers of toys labeled 'educational toys'. Breastfeed a Toddler - Why? Is your baby approaching his or her first birthday and you're considering weaning?The American Academy of Pediatrics currently recommends that "breastfeeding continue for at least 12 months, and thereafter for as long as mutually desired."If you and your baby are still enjoying the nursing experience, why not take a look at some of the advantages of nursing beyond that first year?1) Immunological BenefitsContrary to popular belief, mother's milk does not have an expiration date!Your baby continues to receive all the benefits of human milk for as long as he is nursing.
|
Catalogue 4 Shopping UK offers thousands of low priced, top brand products in a variety of categories including fashion clothing, sportswear, DIY, electrical for home and garden. Remember it is often cheaper to shop via catalogue4shopping.co.uk than going direct, so bookmark us now (Ctrl +d) Enjoy your shopping. |
.jpg)