Making the decision to have a child is momentous. It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body. ~Elizabeth Stone
It would seem that something which means poverty, disorder and violence every single day should be avoided entirely, but the desire to beget children is a natural urge. ~Phyllis Diller
As you can see by these quotes parenting is no easy task. This is designed to give good tips about parenting and make your job as the parent a lot easier.
I have Interviewed five parents and one each of their teenage children
The interviews were very insightful and are in the back. I have gathered several pieces of advice and put them into this book so you can raise your children better ~ Caleb Johnson
Discipline doesn't break a child's spirit half as often as the lack of it breaks a parents heart.~ Anonymous
It is better to bind your children to you by a feeling of respect and by gentleness, than by fear.~Terence
Out of the five Parents I interviewed four of them spanked their children.
Most of their children said it worked. Though spanking is somewhat controversial, I think it is a good sort of discipline as long as you spank your child out of love and not because you are angry and want to hit something. If you want to hit something don't take it out on your child.
I also think that a spanking should be explained to the child and they should know why they are being spanked. Children understand the pain and know that if they do that bad action, pain comes along with it.
Another popular method of discipline is taking away privileges, such as watching tv, playing video games or going to fun events. Most of the kids who had privileges taken away said it worked. This gets through to the child because they can no longer do that fun event.
I think this is better used as they get older though, because pain still works, but losing privileges is a longer lasting punishment.
First you have to teach a child to talk, then you have to teach it to be quiet.
Prochnow
What's done to children, they will do to society.
Karl Menninger
Once again, four out of the five people I interviewed sent their child to preschool. All of the children who were sent to preschool said it was helpful, mostly because of the social aspect and somewhat for the learning part. I was sent to preschool, and it definitely helped me to interact with other children my age well.
"Preschool helped me to know what to expect through the rest of school"- Andy Daugherty
Preschool helps a lot more on the social level than what the child actually learns. It basically teaches proper school etiquette. Preschool is a good base for all the rest of school. Not only does it get them ready for the rest of their schooling, it also teaches them how to interact with other kids.
Having babies is fun, but babies grow up into people.
M*A*S*H, Colonel Potter, "The Price of Tomato Juice"
It kills you to see them grow up. But I guess it would kill you quicker if they didn't.
Barbara Kingsolver, Animal Dreams
I think most parents try to delay dating because dating sort of signifies them growing up. And parents don't like that very much. Dating has a good and a bad side to it. It is good because it helps the child to get to know people of the opposite gender better. Dating is bad because they focus on that one person without really being with anyone else.
Group dating is a good solution to this problem.
Most people said an appropriate dating age is around 15-18. This shouldn't be serious dating, though. That should start more around 20 or after college. 15-18 they should just be getting to know people of the other gender better. At this age, going to movies is better than going to eat together at a fancy restaurant.
Kids have no problem with being behind the wheel of a car flying down the road at 60 miles per hour, but seem to have more trouble with vacuuming.
Anonymous
I think letting their child drive is the biggest decision parents have to make. Most parents don't want their child to have all that responsibility. Most people I interviewed said that they would be responsible enough to drive when they could do every day tasks without being asked. I was allowed to get my permit a few days after I turned 15 because I had shown responsibility. If a child can do every day activities without being asked and can pass the test to get their permit then they are ready to drive.
Another big problem for parents with driving is when their child can get their own car. Most kids I interviewed said around 18. Several parents said that if they were responsible enough to raise the money to be able to buy their own car then they would be ready to buy their own car. Another big deciding factor is if they need to go places a lot and it is dragging down the family. Getting a car should depend on the needs of the family at the time.
Hot dogs always seem better out than at home; so do French-fried potatoes; so do your children. Mignon McLaughlin
Sports are a very good thing. They do three things: they get your children to exercise, play with other kids, and keep them occupied (haha). I started sports around preschool and had fun. Other people I interviewed started around kindergarten through 4th grade and loved it.
One parent said it was a good frustration outlet, (taking anger out on the ball instead of their siblings). Sports also help get them away from their video games and stay fit.
Sports are also a good way to get with other friends. When I was younger and playing soccer, I always wanted to be on the same team with my best friend. Some kids started just to have fun,for example my sister started gymnastics when she was four just to jump in the foam pit. Sports are very good for children and everyone I interviewed did them.
