I am writing as a veteran parent. I had three children, they are all grown up
now, they all graduated college, they all stayed off drugs. The oldest is
married, the middle daughter is sadly doing a divorce, and youngest son has
found a very nice girlfriend. I count my
parenting as a success.
For openers, parents of young children should try to stay
married, at least until the children have grown up some. To the point where I think state child
services should seize children of divorced single parents and put them up for
adoption, should those children fail to obey teachers or get into crime.
Kids need to be loved by their parents. They need
encouraging words, praise, stories. They
need to be scolded, not too often, when they mess up. They need a lot more love and encouragement
than scolding.
All parents ought to take the kids to church on Sunday.
Small children ought to have a regular bedtime, say 8 PM, every night.
Kids ought to get fed three squares a day, with no, or at
least very lightweight snack times in-between.
Kids ought to do a few hours of homework every school
day. Doing homework on the kitchen table
while a parent prepares dinner is good.
Kids ought to go outdoors and play with neighboring kids as
much as possible. Playing with peers is
far better for kids than letting them watch TV or play computer games.
Parents should read a bedtime story to their kids, every night.
Older kids ought to have bicycles, and ride them to school,
baseball games, and other kid activities.
Kids ought to have good kid’s books to read at home.
Kids ought to be taught to swim as early as possible. It is a tragedy to have a child drown.
Kids should go hiking and climbing. Kids should be enrolled in Cub Scouts, Girl
Scouts, Boy Scouts, and summer camp.
Kids should have pets, dogs or cats or something. And be responsible for their care.
Some of this stuff may be beyond the means of some parents. As a parent you do the best you can.
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