My Goals as a Parent

So I've seen many examples of the wrong and right way to do things, and I have come up with my list of the top five most important rules I will do my best to follow.

I use "her" in reference to my daughter, but I will hold myself to these rules with all of our (possible ;-D) future children.

5) Never take life too seriously. Don't hold her to a higher standard than she can reach. Understand her limitations. Help her reach her goals. Show her how to smile, how to laugh at herself. Pick her up when she falls until she learns how to pick herself up. Teach her joy and love. Remind her how much I love her every day. Show her peace. Raise her self esteem. Help her learn and grow. Teach her about Jehovah and what it means to have integrity. Give her faith and a reason to shine.

4) Play with her. Show her how things work and let her test things for herself. Teach her about the world around her. Let her laugh, let her play, let her be silly, let her be herself. Give her books instead of a computer. Take her to a playground instead of sitting her in front of the television. Let her pull all of her toys out her toy box but teach her to always clean up when she is done. Play peek a boo and patty cake. Tickle her until she can't breathe. Kiss her until she pushes me away. Tell her I love her until I embarrass her.

3) Take care of her when she is sick. Sit by her bed and read to her. Fix her chicken soup and feed it to her. Hold her when she cries. Stroke her forehead until she relaxes. Sing to her until she falls asleep. Fix her broken heart with kind words and understanding. Tell her I love her and kiss her goodnight, every night.

2) Never yell. Never use harsh or cruel words to express my disappointment at her shortcomings. Be honest with her. Tell her, "I love you dearly, but I am sad because you did not stop to think of the consequences this would bring upon yourself and those you care about most." Say what I mean to say. Never stoop to demeaning or belittling her for seemingly senseless acts of disobedience. Remove myself for the situation temporarily if I cannot control my temper. Help her understand why her actions are not acceptable. Remind her, always, that I love her. Help her grow into the beautiful young lady I know she will be.

And the number one rule, of course...

1) Teach her to love Jehovah. How? Read her stories about the promises he has made and show her pictures of the paradise earth we will one day enjoy. Tell her the story of Jesus and why he died for us. Help her explore God's creation, giving credit to our Grand Creator at each and every step of the way. Help her understand that when she makes mistakes, she not only disappoints me, she disappoints Jehovah as well. Teach her how to make things right with God. Make sure she understands that he loves her just as much as I do and so much more.


The main theme that threads these five rules together is LOVE.

ALWAYS love your children.

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