Parenting

It's odd. This is the week I decided to read three parenting books. I felt there is room for improvement. I know what kind of parent I want to be, but I often fall short. My kids are good kids, but I think there is room for improvement there, too.

I tire of saying the same things over and over. I get frustrated when my kids don't listen to me. I deserve respect that they often don't give me. This is nothing out of the ordinary. All parents feel this way. I know. But I tire of raising my voice. I get frustrated with how I treat them. They deserve respect from me, too.

So, I am reading Have a New Kid by Friday by Kevin Leman. I hope this will help me in my interactions with my son. I don't expect miracles. I know he won't change by the end of the week, but maybe how I deal with him will. And if this makes our relationship better, than I will have gained.

Then I will read Parenting with Love and Logic by Foster Cline and Jim Fay, followed by Parenting Teens with Love and Logic. As my daughter enters this new phase in her life, our relationship is bound to change. I hope to remain consistent in my parenting so that I will be a constant in her life as things change all around her. I want our relationship to stay strong and not deteriorate, as I see so many mother-teen daughter relationships do.

It's odd. This is the week my neighbors praised Super D and me for our parenting skills. They think our kids are terrific. Despite my insecurities, I guess we're doing something right.