Positive Parenting

Knowing that the world we live in today is very different, Love Our Children USA recognizes that we must redefine parenting.

No one is a perfect parent and there is no magical way to raise children. And we know kids can be challenging!

Parenthood and caring for a child is a gift bestowed upon us which comes with the greatest responsibility and pledge … to guarantee the safety, nurturing, loving environment and physical and emotional wellness of our children … for ALL children!

Anyone and everyone can learn good parenting skills. Even parents who are overwhelmed, or alone. The first three years of your child’s life are crucial. Those are the years that your child will develop significant intellectual, emotional and social abilities. That’s when they learn to give and accept love. They learn confidence, security, and empathy … they learn to be curious and persistent …everything your child needs to learn to relate well to others, and lead a happy and productive life. The first three years are the doorway to forever!

Positive Parenting Means:
- Treating Kids With Respect, Kindness and Compassion
- Showing your love – Nurture your children and tell them every day "I love you. You're special." Give lots of hugs and kisses.
- Understanding
- Negotiation
- Listening to your children tells them that you think they're important and that you're interested in what they have to say.
- Giving Praise and Encouragement - When your children learn something new or behave well, tell them you're so proud of them. Criticize the behavior, not the child. Teaching your child to do the right things is better than constantly punishing bad behavior.
- Reinforcing Positive Behavior
- Providing order in their lives. Keep a regular schedule of meals, naps and bedtimes. If you have to change the schedule, tell them about the changes ahead of time.
- Setting Boundaries
- Make Your Children Feel Protected. Comfort them when they're scared. Show them you've taken steps to protect them and keep them safe.
- Reflecting on Our Parent Role Models
- Helping Kids Find Solutions to Their Own Problems
- Building Children's Self-Esteem
- Teaching Kids How to Deal With Sibling Rivalry, Anger, Peer Pressure, Bullying, etc .
- Spending Time With Your Children. Do things together, like reading, walking, playing and cleaning house. What children want most is your attention. They usebad behavior as a way of getting your attention.
- Being Consistent and firm in enforcing rules and explaining the reasons for the rules in words your child can understand. Consistent means the rules are the same all the time. If two parents are raising a child, both need to use the same rules.

Do you feel like you need help?

You can contact Love Our Children USA for parenting classes in your area, sign up for parenting classes offered by hospitals, community centers or schools. Read parenting books or magazines. Talk to your pediatrician, family doctor, a minister, a priest or a counselor. Don't be embarrassed to ask for parenting help. Raising children is not easy and no one can do it alone. Your doctor can also help you find local groups that can help you learn better parenting skills.

To receive Love Our Children USA’s newsletters and updates visit www.loveourchildrenusa.org

Continuing the Cycle of Love and Nurturing

When a child pushes a parent’s buttons or misbehaves, sometimes all a parent can do is to lose their temper or speak harshly to their child. And sometimes …a parent treats their child the way they were treated …with anger and violence – continuing the cycle.

Today, parents are more sophisticated than they were 20 or 30 years ago. And they’re busier and overwhelmed.

By continuing the cycle of how our parents treated us when we were children isn’t necessarily positive parenting. That doesn’t always mean our parents were bad parents –it might mean they were continuing the cycle of how they were treated.

It’s time to break the cycle today! Whether you’re a parent who is over-whelmed or one who is continuing the cycle … think back to your childhood. How were you treated?

Did you live in a loving home? Or did you live in an angry and violent home?

If you lived in a loving home, then you will want to continue that cycle with your children.

If you lived in an angry and violent home, you remember what growing up was like. It was sad, lonely and frightening.

Is that the kind of home you want your child to grow up in?

By loving and nurturing your children and treating them with kindness, respect and understanding, you are ending an old cycle and beginning a new one.

You CAN stop the violence, anger and neglect BEFORE it ever starts!

Take a deep breath, count to ten, seek help through anger management and parenting classes or consult with a psychologist. The caring, compassion, love and respect you show your children will make such a difference in your relationship with your children and you -- and your entire family. Children understand positive behaviors.

Become a parent who loves and nurtures your child enough to grow up to become a happy and healthy adult who continues that cycle!

What a wonderful gift to give your children ... and their children, and theirs, and theirs, and theirs ... etc!

If you need help or resources to break the cycle of anger and violence and begin a new cycle of love and nurturing, please contact Love Our Children USA.