Aside from all the advice I have received on parenting from others, I am finding that parenting is something you learn as you go forward. I use to find myself picking apart the things I didn’t like about how I was raised. My silent promise became to always be slightly different from that. I remember saying when I was younger, when I’m a parent I will hear my kids out, because they are people too and they have an opinion. However, I am learning there was a method to my mom’s madness. Just recently I was shocked to learn there was a flaw in my parenting skills, which was pointed out, not only by my husband, but also by my children. Now you know you’re doing something wrong when your children can point it out. The blooper I made was asking my children to do things instead of telling them what to do. It would go a little something like this:
“Aren’t you girls ready to take your baths?”
Or
“Don’t you want to put your pjs on now?”
The outcome; I wasn’t getting the responses I expected. My youngest would even say, well you did ask me. She was absolutely correct. Asking does mean they have a choice. I had to come with a new approach. Stepping fully into the parenting role I earned and reminding myself and the children, I am in charge here.
What have been some of your bloopers in parenting? What have you learned from trial and error about your skills as a parent?
