Parenting 101

When I was in High School I took a Japanese class. I loved the class, but I was not good at the whole figuring out a new language thing. I was failing the class. Bummer. But it turned out to be for the best because I transferred out of the Japanese class into a Childhood Development class.


Since I knew I wanted to be a Mother someday I figured this would (a) fulfill the requirement of whatever credit hours I needed to be able to graduate and (b) hopefully teach me some useful information about how to be a great Mother.


Our teacher had been teaching for a couple decades and was very captivating and knew how to engage a room full of teenagers. As students we got to have the opportunity to learn about childhood development and how to manage a childcare facility. But I found the information to be very applicable to being a stay at home Mom as well.


Our teacher taught that when it came to children, that as the authority figure, we always needed to be firm, fair and consistent with them. She drilled this into us and not only said the words but, at least for me, taught how to do this. We would role play situations where we would need to implement how to be firm, fair and consistent. She would give us a scenario on paper and we would have to write out a resolve for the scenario.


Because I had been an avid babysitter in my youth I got to practice on a regular basis this concept. So when it came time for me to become a Mother myself I felt somewhat prepared for the task of knowing how to raise that little bundle of joy. What I wasn't prepared for was the tiring effects of having to be consistently consistent with being firm, fair and consistent.


There were, and are days where thoughts run through my mind of just giving in, but then the words of that teacher echo loud and clear and I stand firm. She explained the importance of teaching children boundaries. She taught the wonderful powerful effects of "obeying" this concept will have on the children you are responsible for.


It is not always easy to be firm , fair and consistent. But the dividends far outweigh the internal constipation you may experience from time to time as you look at the small picture. Because for the most part, being firm, fair and consistent initially does not make you the "nice guy", and may result in some conflict between a child and yourself.


I have every confidence that one day these beautiful little people will one day have little people themselves and they will thank me for always being firm, fair and consistent with them as they grew up.