|
|
Saturday, 16 August 2008 15:00 |
|
Do you know what kind of parent you are? This is an important
question to answer because as a parent your end goal is to raise
a happy, healthy, successful child and to reach that goal you
need to be the best parent you can be.
The four main parenting styles are determined by the level of
warmth and control that parents exert over their child. These
two key factors then create four categories of parenting styles:
indulgent, authoritarian, authoritative, and uninvolved. Each of
these parenting styles reflects different natural patterns of
parental values, practices, and behaviors and a distinct balance
of response and demand.
* Indulgent parents are more responsive than they are demanding.
Nontraditional and lenient, they do not require mature behavior,
allow much self-regulation, and avoid confrontation. Indulgent
parents may be further divided into two types: democratic
parents, who, though lenient, are more conscientious, engaged,
and committed to the child, and nondirective or permissive
parents.
* Authoritarian parents are highly demanding and directive, but
not responsive. They do not explain orders but expect total
obedience. These parents provide well-ordered and structured
environments with clearly stated rules. Authoritarian parents
can be divided into two types: those who are not intrusive or
autocratic in their use of power and those who are highly
intrusive.
* Authoritative parents are both demanding and responsive. They
set clear standards for their child"s conduct, but their
disciplinary methods are supportive, rather than punitive. They
are assertive, but not intrusive and restrictive as they want
their children to be assertive as well as socially responsible,
cooperative, and self-regulated.
* Uninvolved parents are low in both response and demand. In
extreme cases, this parenting style might encompass both
rejection and neglect.
Parenting styles not only differ in terms of response and demand
but also the extent of psychological control they extend over
their child. Psychological control is the attempt to intrude
into the psychological and emotional development of the child
through use of parenting practices such as guilt, shame, and
withdrawal of love. One key difference between authoritarian and
authoritative parenting is in the dimension of psychological
control. Both authoritarian and authoritative parents place high
demands on their children and expect their children to behave
appropriately and obey parental rules. Authoritarian parents,
however, also expect their children to accept their judgments,
values, and goals without question. In contrast, authoritative
parents are more open to give and take with their children and
offer more explanation. Therefore, although authoritative and
authoritarian parents are both high in behavioral control,
authoritative parents tend to be low in psychological control,
while authoritarian parents tend to be high.
Learning more about your own parenting style can help you become
a more effective parent and raise a more successful child.
|
|
|
Sunday, 20 July 2008 02:01 |
|
All of us want to be the best parent we can be, but we sometimes
doubt whether we are doing what"s best for our children. Good
parenting skills are learned; we"re not born with them. But
where should you go for parenting advice and tips? There are
hundreds of parenting websites. Which ones offer the best
parenting resources? Take a look at these sites for valuable
parenting tips.
1. Gerber Foods, the baby food manufacturer, has an excellent
parenting website, http://www.gerber.com, filled with
information on parenting issues for those with infants to
toddler-age children. Particularly useful is their Parents
Resource Center, a 24/7 live help forum for parenting questions
and problems that arise in the middle of the night as well as
those in the more civilized hours.
2. Do you have a toddler that you"re toilet training? Do you
need to share your parenting experiences and get advice on what
you are doing right or wrong?
http://www.pottytrainingsolutions.com is a parenting website
that offers easy-to-read advice on parenting toilet training.
Their series of helpful articles and parenting take you through
the entire process and the FAQ sections helps with basic
parenting advice.
3. A successful parenting website relies on trust and who has
better credentials on parenting that the people who have brought
us the PBS show, Sesame Street for all of these years. Their
parenting articles on http://www.sesamestreet.org/parenting give
advice on parenting toddlers as well as older children. Recent
parenting articles have included "How to Raise an Eager Reader"
and advice on keeping your parenting resolutions. There"s also
nutrition information and recipes as well as kids activity
ideas. It"s a great parenting resource.
4. Parents of teenagers will appreciate the free parenting tips
on http://www.byparents-forparents.com. In addition to articles,
there are self-tests that allow parents to measure the
effectiveness of their parenting techniques. Another highlight
of the site is the open parent/teen forum that gives both teens
and adults the chance to share their thoughts.
5. Work-at-home moms can sometimes feel isolated. Visit
http://www.wahm.com to share ideas with like-minded moms (and
dads). There are parenting articles, an active parenting forum,
and even a section with job leads, featuring telecommuting
positions and freelancing gigs.
6. And, finally, for those times when you need a lighter moment,
there"s http://www.parentinghumor.com, a well written website,
dedicated to the lighter side of parenting.
Remember that you"re not alone. All parents need advice
sometimes. There are thousands of parenting resources online.
>From parenting workshops to parenting forums, there"s a wealth
of information available for parents with children of any age.
|
|
Friday, 18 July 2008 13:00 |
|
This article gives ten ways to help achieve a safe and joyful
air travel experience with your elderly parent. This is based on
personal experience with my own 91-year-old mother. After having
some rather stressful trips with my mother, I have made
conscious efforts to create more joy in our travels. My goal was
to reduce the frustration for my mother and for myself.
1. Include your parent in the planning stage of making
reservations for rooms.
Some parents prefer having a separate room. Others like the
security of sharing a room.
2. Review procedures for closing out their residence prior to
leaving. Stop paper, mail, etc. Make sure there are no
appointments lined up for the time period of the trip.
3. Plan to travel on a day ahead of the main activities of the
trip.
This time gives space for transition to the new environment and
rest from the trip.
4. Arrange with the hotel/motel for adjoining rooms if you are
in separate rooms.
This gives you the opportunity for easy connecting. Even keeping
the key for your parent could be helpful. Doors are usually very
heavy and are not easy to handle. Better to have your parent
wait in the room until you are with them.
5. Go over the procedures for contacting the front desk so that
the security of having help nearby is there.
Caution against opening the door thinking it could be family.
Rely on the phone for connection if you don"t have the key to
their room.
6. If agreeable for your parent, arrange ahead of time for a
wheelchair.
Distances in the airport are LONG and there is so much confusion
everywhere. Being in the wheelchair takes away that stress for
your parent. AND you can zip through the security lines when you
are with a wheelchair passenger!
7. Take along extra reading material for your parent to make the
waiting time go faster.
Something you have may be more interesting since it is different
from what your parent usually reads.
8. Take along a nightlight so that there is safety at night for
going to the bathroom.
So many elderly people have falls which lead to inactivity which
leads to degeneration of the body. Having light at night is a
great safety precaution against falls.
9. Be careful not to pack the schedule too tight.
Leave room for naps when necessary. Take along plenty of reading
for yourself so that you are not impatient waiting.
10. When returning home, check over their residence to make
certain all is in shape for reentry.
Make certain lights are working. Check for any leaks in water
lines. Ask if there is anything that you can do for them before
you leave. Coming home after a trip is another important
transition.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Page 1 of 13 |
