What’s hard for teenagers

Having people who don’t understand you trying to control you.

Parents not understanding the things you have to deal with.

Having to deal with school.

Being accepted by friends.

Having someone really close to you leave you.

Being blamed for almost everything because we are teen-agers.

Living with divorced parents and having no say in where you go.

Dealing with boy/girl friends.

Trying to deal with a parent who doesn’t want to understand and take time to listen to your comments.

Not being financially independent.

Meeting parents’ expectations and never being good enough.

Knowing your parents are right.

What’s best about being a teen

Getting away with immature behavior.

The chance to try new things.

Having your whole life ahead of you.

Youth, energy and time.

Lots to look forward to.

Getting a driver’s license

Almost being done with school.

Friends and relationships.

Not having to work.

Summer vacation.

What parent’s don’t understand

Our schedules and our social lives.

That restrictions don’t work and talking does.

We’re old enough to make our own choices.

We need to have our freedom every once in a while.

That we make mistakes just like they did.

Grades aren’t the only thing I’m good for; I can make you proud by just being me!!

We love you even if you aren’t around.

Threats make me fear you, not respect you.

What the world is like now, not what it was like when they were kids.

We have feelings, too.

Their words can hurt really badly.

It really is hard to live in a family where your opinion doesn’t count.

We understand trust isn’t cheap but we have to learn some things for ourselves.

PS

Further Resources

I have also found that it is important to ensure that you are as focused as you can be, given all your responsibilities as a parent, and time consuming tasks you have to get through. This is where the Success Strategies System comes in.

You can learn the tips and get the information yopu need, in small daily chunks, in as little as around five or six minutes daily.

I also highly recommend the Self Help Database, loaded with fantastic ebooks on a range of subjects for your improvement, development, and interest.

For personal development (always a plus with parenting), may I direct you here.

PPS:

As a side note, may I suggest an incredible book, as you may be looking at developing your finances here as well- Seed Money.

Do you ever wonder what is behind the occasional nasty attitudes expressed by your teenager? Teenagers can make their parents feel pretty badly at times; if they only knew how much their words and actions sometimes hurt us they’d probably stop. Perhaps.

It isn’t a developmental necessity that teenagers be mean to their parents, but enough of them demonstrate this behavior that it not only warrants examination here, it is the topic of frequent discussion among parents. And when young adults look back, they say things like “I’m still apologizing to my mom for how I treated her when I was in high school.”

Why do they act this way? What’s behind this behavior? Here are a couple of reasons.

During adolescence parents fall off the pedestal we once stood on when our kids were young. And that is a developmental necessity. Part of the process that teenagers are experiencing includes separating from parents, a process psychologists call “individuation.” They are coming into their own true – separate – selves. And this includes seeing parents realistically – and that means they see our flaws and short comings as well as our positive attributes.

Smaller children often make that pedestal parents stand on pretty high; think back and you’re sure to remember incidences that surprised you when you realized how you were perceived as infallible, nearly “perfect,” truly “adored.” When teenagers begin to gain a more realistic view of their parents it can actually be scary for them. They can feel vulnerable, angry even, to discover their parents are only human, imperfect like the rest of humanity. Obviously they will learn to cope with this realization, but at an unconscious level it can still be disturbing to them. This can be one cause of their “mean” behavior toward parents.

It will help parents to understand that along with the disappointment in learning adults are flawed, may also come relief as teenagers learn that “perfection” is not a prerequisite for adulthood. Parents can help their teens through this shift in thinking and this important developmental step by being realistic about their flaws.

Another reason why kids sometimes present challenging attitudes to parents is that they’re testing out ideas. Hopefully, at a deep level, your teen knows that he/she can count on you and you’ll never abandon him/her, no matter what. That makes you, then, the safest person with whom she can express her feeling and thoughts – even ones that are not typically allowed in our culture.

Parents who provide walls and boundaries are not only keeping kids safe, they are providing walls to push against, and push they will! This may not be what the parent intends, but it is often the case, again, because of the inherent “safety” in the relationship. Parents can become, merely because of circumstances, the testing ground teens use to verbalize ideas, attitudes and behavior, sometimes with little regard for our feelings. Mother-daughter relationships, in particular, can exemplify this. One author referred to “mother” as the “standard to which she aspires and struggles against.” So, you see the challenge can be built right into the relationship.

There are many causes for the changing behavior of teenagers, and some of the attitudes they express can hurt parents’ feelings. The more parents understand the underlying causes for what is going on, the more we can properly manage our responses. We certainly don’t need to accept unacceptable behavior, but on the other hand we can help the situation if we are knowledgeable about what might be really behind it.

Sue Blaney

© 2004

PS

Further Resources

I have also found that it is important to ensure that you are as focused as you can be, given all your responsibilities as a parent, and time consuming tasks you have to get through. This is where the Success Strategies System comes in.

You can learn the tips and get the information yopu need, in small daily chunks, in as little as around five or six minutes daily.

I also highly recommend the Self Help Database, loaded with fantastic ebooks on a range of subjects for your improvement, development, and interest.

For personal development (always a plus with parenting), may I direct you here.

PPS:

As a side note, may I suggest an incredible book, as you may be looking at developing your finances here as well- Seed Money.

Law of Belonging – One of the greatest needs of teenagers (after music, screen time and the phone) is a strong sense of belonging. They need to feel like they are a part of something bigger than themselves. And guess what? If they do not get this need met in a healthy place, they will begin to look for ways to get this need met anywhere else they can find it.

Law of Power – Once you’ve entered into a power struggle with a teenager, you’ve already lost. It’s like the closing line “War Games”, “Interesting game, the only winning move is not to play”.

Law of Control – Trying to control a teenager is like trying to put pants on a gorilla. It’s just going to frustrate you and really irritate the gorilla. Not a great way to live day to day.

Law of Management – A management approach puts the parents clearly in charge. The goal is to eventually manage them out of your lives, and into their own.

Law of Voice – In a well functioning family, the teens almost always get a voice. They just don’t always get a vote. Consistently violate either side of this equation and you’ve got trouble.

Punishment is often done out of anger and is usually for the parent.

Punishment breeds resentment and a desire for revenge.

Teens have many creative ways to get you back.

Law of Consequences – Consequences teach teens about the real world. In general they need to be related, reasonable, respectful, swift, strong and short-term.

Law of Structure – Parents need to set boundaries & structure from day one. If you don’t do it while they are young, what makes you think they will obey curfew when they have a car?

Law of W’s – When teens are gone from home, parents need to know who they are with, where they are going, what they will be doing and what time they will be back.

Law of 20 Feet – The law of 20 feet states that at a certain age, you must walk at least 20 feet away from your teen if you are in a public place. Thirty feet if you’re in the mall.

PS

Further Resources

I have also found that it is important to ensure that you are as focused as you can be, given all your responsibilities as a parent, and time consuming tasks you have to get through. This is where the Success Strategies System comes in.

You can learn the tips and get the information yopu need, in small daily chunks, in as little as around five or six minutes daily.

I also highly recommend the Self Help Database, loaded with fantastic ebooks on a range of subjects for your improvement, development, and interest.

For personal development (always a plus with parenting), may I direct you here.

PPS:

As a side note, may I suggest an incredible book, as you may be looking at developing your finances here as well- Seed Money.

In some respects, you do not know what parenting is until your children hit their teens. It’s a whole new ball game. All of a sudden you realize that there is this huge gap between you and your kid and the more you try to fix it, the more it seems to broaden. Communication between you and your child seems to be dead. These are probably the toughest years!!

So what do you do to make it better?

Here are a few tips:

• Try and get into their heads. Do not assume that because you do not like something, your teen does not like it too.

• Remember to always be truthful to your teen. No matter how old your child grows, he/she looks at you as an example. If you want your teen to be truthful, you need to first be truthful. Honesty is the best policy you can instil in to them

• Do not jump into advising; first listen to what your teen has to say. Be empathetic.

• Your job during their teens is to spur and encourage them. If you are one who keeps criticizing, they are never going to want to communicate with you.

• You need to be available for them whenever they need you. They may want to talk in the middle of the night, it is important that you talk to them when they are willing to talk.

• If you are wrong, apologize. It takes a big person to apologize. Your teen will respect you much more for it.

• Don’t wait for your teen to ask you for help, sense it and then do your best to help them

• Respect your teen. Treat him/her like an adult. Give then their space.

• Remember to use words like “please”, “thank you” and “I love you” frequently with your teens.

PS

Further Resources

I have also found that it is important to ensure that you are as focused as you can be, given all your responsibilities as a parent, and time consuming tasks you have to get through. This is where the Success Strategies System comes in.

You can learn the tips and get the information yopu need, in small daily chunks, in as little as around five or six minutes daily.

I also highly recommend the Self Help Database, loaded with fantastic ebooks on a range of subjects for your improvement, development, and interest.

For personal development (always a plus with parenting), may I direct you here.

PPS:

As a side note, may I suggest an incredible book, as you may be looking at developing your finances here as well- Seed Money.

As I mention in many of my articles, being the parent of a teenager can be like walking a fine line at all times. It is a constant balancing act between wanting to protect your teen from bad decisions and harm and wanting them to make their own decisions and live with the consequences of these decisions. Obviously when your children are younger you can control much more of what goes on in their lives. You can better control their environment and they are very open to your making a lot of their decisions for them. This is clearly not the case with teenagers.

In this article, I will review four parenting styles described in the book Love and Logic. The first three are often used by parents of teenagers but are not considered to be the most effective. The last style is considered by many to be the most effective parenting style for parents of teens.

1. Helicopter Parents
If you think about the role of a helicopter it is to hover, watch, protect and rescue. This is what “Helicopter Parents” do with their teenagers. On the surface Helicopter Parents appear to be very involved and supportive of their teenagers, however, what ends up happening is that they do so much for their teenager that their teenagers don’t get to experience real life, worry, pain or consequences because their parents are jumping in and protecting them when difficult situations arise. Helicopter Parents are very afraid of their children failing so they rescue them out of worry, guilt or because they want to be needed by their children.

These parents are genuinely concerned and love their children, however, they prevent their children from becoming responsible because they are always there as a safety net. Parents who continue to drive their teenagers to school when they repeatedly wake up late and miss the bus or who continue to give their teenagers extra money when they overspend their allowance or money from a part time job are considered Helicopter Parents. The teens of these parents never learn what it is like to have to make up for their mistakes or experience discomfort because they made poor decisions. The bigger problem arises when the “helicopter” is no longer in their lives and all of the sudden they are adults who have no concept of what it means to be truly responsible for themselves.

2. Drill Sergeant Parents
If you think about the role of a drill sergeant, it is to give orders and tell others what to do and to punish those who do not follow exact orders. This is what “Drill Sergeant Parents” do with their teenagers. Drill Sergeant Parents believe that the more they discipline and control their teenagers, the better their children will turn out. Teenagers of Drill Sergeant Parents never learn how to make their own decisions because their decisions are made for them in a demanding and sometimes very controlling manner. Punishment is often used for failure to follow expectations which, in teens, does not typically promote thoughtful reflection – it promotes resentment. Teenagers of Drill Sergeant Parents are not taught how to express themselves appropriately (because they are not given a chance) and never really learn about decision making or consequences for poor decisions because their parents control those aspects or their lives.

3. The Laissez-Faire Parent
This is not technically a parenting style, however, it is something I have seen often enough that it was worth mentioning. “Laissez-Faire Parents” are hands off with their teenagers and generally allow their teens to do whatever they wish to do. These are parents who may act like they are best friends with their teenager. This type of parenting can evolve from a parent’s need to feel well liked and loved by their teenager, out of guilt because they are always working or busy with other things, out of frustration and “giving up” or out of necessity due to emotional or substance abuse problems on the part of the parent. Teens are not able to make all their own decisions and not having guidance from parents ongoing can lead to the development of very poor decision making skills and potentially serious or dangerous consequences for these decisions.

4. The Consultant Parent
A normal part of adolescent development is the shift from thinking in a very concrete manner to being able to think abstractly. Because there is significant development going on in the adolescent brain, it is a critical time to help shape behavior patterns and overall brain wiring. This change in thinking is one of the reasons why parents begin to notice that their teenagers start to question or resist things that were never questioned by them before. Consultant Parents ask questions and offer choices to their teenagers whenever possible. The goal is to have teens engage in the decision making process when possible and in a safe manner so that they can learn and build upon decision making skills. Parents who are in a consultant role use “I” statements instead of “You” statements. For example, “I am wondering what you would think would be a reasonable curfew on a school night when there is an exam tomorrow” instead of “You will stay in and study since you are not getting good enough grades”. In addition to using “I” statements, consultants ask a lot of questions (not accusatory questions but rather curious questions) which foster thinking more than lectures will ever do.

Which type of parent do you think you are and could you create more situations where you behave in the role of a consultant?

Much of the information for this article was taken from Parenting Teens With Love & Logic (2006) by Foster Cline, MD and Jim Fay.

© 2009 Elite Life Coaching

PS

Further Resources

I have also found that it is important to ensure that you are as focused as you can be, given all your responsibilities as a parent, and time consuming tasks you have to get through. This is where the Success Strategies System comes in.

You can learn the tips and get the information yopu need, in small daily chunks, in as little as around five or six minutes daily.

I also highly recommend the Self Help Database, loaded with fantastic ebooks on a range of subjects for your improvement, development, and interest.

For personal development (always a plus with parenting), may I direct you here.

PPS:

As a side note, may I suggest an incredible book, as you may be looking at developing your finances here as well- Seed Money.

The human being inherits a wild and primitive conscience in his psyche that is constantly trying to destroy the human side of the conscience through craziness. This fact means that everyone needs craziness prevention, which can be obtained through dream interpretation, according to my adaptation of the scientific method discovered by Carl Jung at the beginning of the last century.

Thanks to the discovery of the existence of the anti-conscience (our primitive conscience that works against our human side) and to the confirmation of the wisdom and perfection of the unconscious mind that produces our dreams, today everyone can easily learn how to translate dream messages. They can understand the directions, advice and warnings of the unconscious mind, that are given to us in a symbolic form so that the anti-conscience won’t understand them; it would otherwise distort their meaning and we would not have the unconscious’ support.

Even if you don’t want to care about your dreams everyday, you must have the basic knowledge about how to fight off craziness, since it is a danger that is constantly threatening you and everyone else.

You have to be a balanced parent, so that you can give a balanced education to your kids.

Your kids need dream interpretation as soon as possible too, because they have to solve many problems that were caused by previous generations, not to mention saving our polluted planet. They have to be strong in order to face so much and yet, find their happiness.

Depression can easily become a neurosis and things can suddenly be out of control when you try to understand what is happening to you, your life, your kids and their lives.

This is why your care for craziness prevention now is the wisest decision you could make, feeling grateful because you have this possibility, which our ancestors didn’t have.

This is why human history is characterized by terror, violence, immorality, misery and despair.

We have to put an end to the human drama and help our teens build a new world where everyone will live happily and everyone will be calm, sensitive, sensible and wise.

PS

Further Resources

I have also found that it is important to ensure that you are as focused as you can be, given all your responsibilities as a parent, and time consuming tasks you have to get through. This is where the Success Strategies System comes in.

You can learn the tips and get the information yopu need, in small daily chunks, in as little as around five or six minutes daily.

I also highly recommend the Self Help Database, loaded with fantastic ebooks on a range of subjects for your improvement, development, and interest.

For personal development (always a plus with parenting), may I direct you here.

PPS:

As a side note, may I suggest an incredible book, as you may be looking at developing your finances here as well- Seed Money.

When you look around in the world what do you see that you would like to modify or transform? I see a messed up pop culture filled up with teenage girls and young women, walking around on the streets, in the stores, and even in church, half naked! I am, a mother of three home-schooled teenage sons, which makes me kind of embarrassed by these tense moments together when half dressed teenage girls and women walk by and smile flirtatiously at my sons, while their bellies and breasts hang out of their shirts.

Below are some summer wear guidelines for dressing for a casual classy and sophisticated look when going out in public.

1. Shorts and pants should not hang so low off your hips so that when you bend over your butt crack shows.

2. Shorts should not be any higher than two inches above the knee. If shorts are too short they tend to inch up, exposing too much thigh. It is classier to only show a little bit rather than bare all.

3. Shorts should not be so tight that it looks like they were painted on where you can see the outline of a girl’s pubic bone and panty lines. Ouch! That has got to be uncomfortable.

4. Best summer attire for wearing out for the classy lady is kaki shorts one inch above the knee with a tailored short sleeved blouse.

5. Summer dresses and skirts should never be so short that when you bend down, your backside is exposed, or when you sit down, the dress inches up to the top of your thigh. This is your cue that the dress is way too short.

Shirts should fit the wearer properly.

1. Shirts should come completely down to the waist over the shorts or tucked into the shorts so your belly is not hanging out.

2. If you have bigger breasts than a size A, you should wear a bra. There is nothing more sloppy looking than breasts that are left to sag in tight fitting shirts.

3. Bra straps should not show if you are wearing a sleeveless blouse.

4. Blouse or shirt should not be so big, or low cut that when you bend down your cleavage droops down in front of peoples view.

Dressing in this fashion will not stop the stares, and it most likely will get you a few extra from a different breed of men.

I often wonder what my sons are thinking when they see a cute teenage girl, maybe your daughter, wearing only a pair of short-shorts and a skimpy little shirt. Do I dare ask? I don’t really think they will tell me what they are thinking. I look at them and see embarrassed looks on their face, red faced and ashamed that they even smiled back. My teenage sons have been home schooled since the first grade. So you can see how they would not be used to seeing half naked girls too much. The problem is this teenage skin baring is getting worse.

You know what I’m thinking? I’m thinking, where are these girl’s father? I’m thinking why aren’t the fathers protecting their daughters from this sort of exploitation? Does that sound too harsh? I don’t think so. When I see half naked, thirteen, fifteen and sixteen years old, I know what they are doing. They are exhibiting their sexual identities through the only means they know how. This is what they are taught and conditioned to believe because this is all they see going on in the world around them. But they have so much more to offer than this!

Just the other day, I saw people coming out of a Church with shorts and t-shirts on! It’s too late to draw the line, precedents have already been established. At this point, and what I keep saying, is, it is up to the individual to prepare themselves physically and mentally against the temptations of society and for those parents who care about their children to instill the values and principles they will need to equip themselves properly for whatever in the world decides to eat them up from this diseased culture.

Who teaches young girls and women to think they need to go around with their private parts hanging out? Is it the parents fault? I don’t think parents are talking to their children. I think that many Christian homes have become too lax in their values to realize that the culture is becoming more and more corrupt. Parents don’t realize, or don’t care that they are becoming one with this new liberal, “so called Christian” view. Society is literally crazy about nakedness and sex! The blind are leading the blind.

If you are not blind to all of this, then the most important thing you can do for your teenager is to talk to them about the importance of having morals and values within their character. It is the parent’s job to erect values in their children, not someone else. Build up your teenager’s self esteem everyday and direct them down the right paths that lead to happiness and love. Teaching them about modesty in everything they do is a great virtue of character to instill in your teenager.

Make it a point to get involved with what they are involved in. Let them know you care. A teen will be less likely to be pressured by their peers when they know who they are, what they believe in, and what they want for themselves.

It is the parent’s job to instill these things within the framework of their child when he or she is young, so when they are older, they will not depart from their teaching.

Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it. Proverbs 22:6

PS

Further Resources

I have also found that it is important to ensure that you are as focused as you can be, given all your responsibilities as a parent, and time consuming tasks you have to get through. This is where the Success Strategies System comes in.

You can learn the tips and get the information yopu need, in small daily chunks, in as little as around five or six minutes daily.

I also highly recommend the Self Help Database, loaded with fantastic ebooks on a range of subjects for your improvement, development, and interest.

For personal development (always a plus with parenting), may I direct you here.

PPS:

As a side note, may I suggest an incredible book, as you may be looking at developing your finances here as well- Seed Money.

Now that your child or children have become teenagers, I’m sure that you have noticed a change in attitude and a change in their vocabulary. I sure remember when I reached my teenage years and the way my parents reacted. They were very concerned with my vocabulary and my, what they labeled, negative attitude. I also recall my attitude when my children became teenagers. I have found that most parents react the same way when they realize that their child/children are becoming more independent.

Teenagers today are being influenced in so many different ways that they really become very confused in which direction they should follow. Because of this confusion, which can lead to mild depression, it is very important that you, as a parent, become very involved in communicating with your child/children on a regular schedule.

A technique that my wife and I found to very helpful in communicating with our teenage children was to set up a schedule to talk with them. We decided to sit down with our children three days a week for at least 1 hour each day. There were no interruptions. Phones were turned off, no TV, no IPods, no cell phones, no computers. The only sounds that were heard were the sounds of good communication between our children and their parents. We continued this process for 6 years.

If you decide to try this technique then you must make a commitment that it will be a positive and uplifting experience. You should also realize that some old habits are going to change, usually in a positive direction. During your communication time with your teenager/teenagers you always want to communicate your love, respect and how proud you are of them. While in your family get together you always should be using positive words and ideas.

Positive words and ideas that you can use are; keeping a smile on your face, intelligence, leader or leadership, smart, friendly, attractive, good looking, friend, helper, helping others, serving others, positive attitude, positive words, good habits, good study habits, great grades, respect for themselves, respect for others, love of family, integrity and excellence and being the best that you can be every day. These words and ideas are examples we used during our communication time as a family. The results were fantastic and very rewarding.

Now, as you develop your own technique to communicate with your teen/teens, make sure that you’re honest and committed to help them develop a positive attitude and a positive vocabulary. You will be very proud of the progressive success that will be the result of you commitment.

PS

Further Resources

I have also found that it is important to ensure that you are as focused as you can be, given all your responsibilities as a parent, and time consuming tasks you have to get through. This is where the Success Strategies System comes in.

You can learn the tips and get the information yopu need, in small daily chunks, in as little as around five or six minutes daily.

I also highly recommend the Self Help Database, loaded with fantastic ebooks on a range of subjects for your improvement, development, and interest.

For personal development (always a plus with parenting), may I direct you here.

PPS:

As a side note, may I suggest an incredible book, as you may be looking at developing your finances here as well- Seed Money.

It is not always easy being a parent. We teach our children how to treat us. And often from an early age they have us wrapped around their small fingers.

So we are not unfairly taken advantage of we as parents must set boundaries early on. Without these our children will run wild. Today parents seem more lenient – certainly more so than our own parents. Too much freedom can actually harm our children.

By setting boundaries, we are letting our children know exactly what we expect of them. And what we disapprove of. Yes our children may very well kick and scream but it is in our own best interests (and theirs) to set boundaries and then consistently reinforce them.

Children feel safe when boundaries are set. Yes they will test you and you must be firm and unrelenting. Once you let your guard down once, you have lost some self respect and will be walked all over.

Setting boundaries for every routines are essential to ensure peaceful every-day living. Where your children can and cannot eat in the house. What time they must go to bed. How they are expected to behave are three general boundaries that must be set.

The trick in setting these rules is to not make them sound like rules. Explain why that particular boundary is set and why it is in their best interest. For example you can talk about their bed-time as being essential to have enough energy to wake up early the next morning and start playing.

State that so-and-so child goes to bed earlier than them and they are lucky to be able to stay up later than them. Tell your children stories about what it was like when you are their age. Children enjoy listening to these – especially when it makes them feel better about their circumstance.

Have consequences if they do not adhere to the boundary. And make sure you carry out what you threaten to do. That way your child knows you are serious and will think twice about pushing the boundary next time.

Being firm and loving is the key in setting and reinforcing boundaries with your child.

Further Resources

I have also found that it is important to ensure that you are as focused as you can be, given all your responsibilities as a parent, and time consuming tasks you have to get through. This is where the Success Strategies System comes in.

You can learn the tips and get the information yopu need, in small daily chunks, in as little as around five or six minutes daily.

I also highly recommend the Self Help Database, loaded with fantastic ebooks on a range of subjects for your improvement, development, and interest.

For personal development (always a plus with parenting), may I direct you here.

When we teach our children to feel good about themselves, we teach them how to handle life’s disappointments.

When they do things right, acknowledge it.

Find one or two things about what they did to complement. Don’t go overboard on the praise or they may not believe you are sincere. Simply point out one or two things that you liked about what they did.

Tell them they should be happy about their accomplishment.

This is one trick that most parents miss. We want our kids to learn to look to themselves for validation. We do not want them doing things to make others happy. So lets include one simple sentence in our praise. “You must be very proud of yourself.” or “I’ll bet you are happy with your performance.”

By including a simple sentence that guides them to feel good, your children learn to look to themselves for validation.

Acknowledge their mistakes – but don’t dwell on them.

Be honest. If they tried something and failed, acknowledge the failure, but point out at least one thing they did right in their attempt. “Yes, the house you built with blocks fell down, but I really liked the colors you chose. Let’s try again.” or “I know your shoe came untied, but I’ll bet you are really proud of the fact that you tied them all by yourself today!” or “Yes, you did miss the game winning basket. but you should be proud of the two three point shots you did make.”

These three tips will go a long way in teaching your children to look inside themselves for validation and to shrug off the failures and try again.

Not only are you teaching your children to feel good about themselves, you are strengthening your relationship with them. Your children are seeing you as a loving parent who truly cares how they feel. Even the busiest parents can take a few seconds to teach their children how to feel good about themselves.

The work you do while your children are small will make a world of difference when they become teenagers. If they view you as caring and supportive, they will continue to trust you as they grow older. If they view you as critical and unsupportive, they will look to others to give advice when they reach their teens. Who do you want to guide your teenager – you or your teenager’s friends.

Parenting is easier than most parents think.

Further Resources

I have also found that it is important to ensure that you are as focused as you can be, given all your responsibilities as a parent, and time consuming tasks you have to get through. This is where the Success Strategies System comes in.

You can learn the tips and get the information yopu need, in small daily chunks, in as little as around five or six minutes daily.

I also highly recommend the Self Help Database, loaded with fantastic ebooks on a range of subjects for your improvement, development, and interest.

For personal development (always a plus with parenting), may I direct you here.