Memo to all Parental units--
Parenting is Modeling : Be a Supermodel!

  • Teach your children how to play by playing with them.  How do you expect them to know if you don't model healthy, respectful, inquisitive, imaginative play?

  • New environments mean different ways of playing; remember, your child's ability to play well in familiar environments may not rollover to new, unfamiliar environments.  That's why it's good to play with your child on a regular basis, consistently modeling healthy play and interactions. Play with other parents and kids.  If you play well with others, so may your children.

  • Modeling how to play well with others from birth through adolescence helps to ensure that your child may be a well adjusted adult, who still plays well with others, and who will continue modeling that behaviour....

  • Be aware of your child's fears and help them face them by educating them.  Look up information about the subject/thing; fight fear with facts.  Modeling that behaviour imprints a desire to seek knowledge, to find logical answers to illogical emotions.

 
Practicing these parenting principles is beneficial for both the children and the parents.  And anyone around children at any time, for that matter.


Children remind us to practice these simple principles at all times--children are very observant.  Hipocrisy is a guaranteed way to diminish your child's respect towards you.  With diminished respect may come rebellion. Parenting may inevitably become more difficult.  

Why?   Hypocrisy: "Do as I say, not as I do," may create an attitude of "if you don't have to, I don't have to."

Whatever behaviours your children see you modeling, they may learn from you.  If you don't, they may likely wont.  If you do, they may likely will.   

As your child grows older, he/she will learn different ways to play.   The interactions your child experiences during that time may have a direct impact on how your child interacts with others and in different environments as an adult.

By modeling creative play that incorporates imaginative problem solving, you may help your child develop problem solving skills that will be regularly practiced; that may help establish the perspective that "problems" are fun challenges to be enjoyed, not obstacles to be dreaded and feared.

All of the above helps facilitate life for all of us---especially if you model for your child the perspective that if we all help each other, think of others as well as ourselves, we're all winners, and slack reigns.  

Problem-solving with the ultimate goal being win/win establishes a healthy attitude towards human relations.  AND SLACK REIGNS!

Because imaginative, interesting, creative problem solving skills inherently raises the slack quotient for everything in the multiverses.  

Most important!  Model giving slack to get slack.  Give your child slack to make their own mistakes and learn from them. Give yourself the slack to make mistakes, and the slack to admit that, so your children learn that they may give themselves slack, and give others slack.

And then we all have more room to grow and expand.  Because there's enough slack for everyone.

--{and if you don't, I will personally SLACK you silly}--

~Connie Dobbs~