Parenting: close to Godliness

This week has been a lot of fun for me. We talked about parenting. I’m no expert but from what we discussed in class, I have a better idea of how to be a parent. Some of the things that we talked about was active parenting. This involves parents setting guidelines for their children and also letting them have some freedom, within those limits. We talked about how important giving children choices is. Nobody, especially adults, don’t like to be told what to do. Why would we expect our children to just take what we want them to do? A parent’s job is to protect and help their children be contributors to society. It is not to rule over them and command them to do what the parents want. I think most parents want their children to grow up and be good citizens. They think that way that they need to do that is to control and teach them through force. But that doesn’t work. Like each person children have needs that need to be met. Those needs include, a sense of contact and belonging, control, protection and withdrawal. Children, like everyone, like to feel like they are useful and needed. Giving children responsibilities and encouragement goes a long way. It we don’t love them for who they are they go out and find it in other ways that are not health or safe. Children also need to feel protected. When they feel attacked or threaten they can react with revenge. Which is not healthy or good. They also need to have time to themselves. They need to be able to withdraw and find inner peace and comfort. All of these needs can be met as we listen to our children and truly care about their wellbeing. One of the best ways that parents can do this is by respecting their child and asking politely for the behavior or action that they desire. When we respect our children they will respect us back. If necessary consequences should be logically tied to the misbehavior. For instance when a teen misuses there phone, taking away their phone forever is not logical. Logically they could lost the phone for a couple of days to have a changes to repent and do better. Also it helps if before misbehavior happens you sit down with your child and discuss the consequences for a misbehavior. It is best to include the child. It helps them feel like things are fair and that they can and are able to meet the expectations because they helped set them. Giving children choices are also good. As we give them choices they learn how to make decisions for themselves which helps them later on in life to make the big decisions that come their way. Children need guidance and support not dictatorship and rules. They usually know what is good and what is not but they usually are trying to meet their need but don’t know how in a constructive and good way. That is why parents are there to help them. To guide them. Parents are important. Children need that loving guidance from them to help them become good members of society and contribute.

We also see these same patterns in the way that God interacts with us as His children. He never forces us to do anything but is always there lovingly guiding us. Giving us the tools that we need. He gives us our agency and lets us choice for ourselves. He loves us, just as we should love our children.