Your relationship with your child is the key to success!

This list isn’t comprehensive and you won’t be able to do it all, but here’s a start:

• Don’t underestimate your influence! The child will come to you when they need to if the relationship is a good one. It  is  never too late to start!
• In a good relationship,  almost any form of discipline will work. If it’s poor, almost any form of discipline won’t work.
• Respect them; value their opinions and treat them the same at home, as you would in front of others.
• Spend “special time” with your child each day, doing what they want to do for 15-20 min. to strengthen your bond.
• Become a good listener. Find out what your child thinks before you tell him/her what to think. Validate feelings!
• Speak to them on their level; they don’t think or behave as adults yet.
• Express positive behaviors 10 times more than negative ones.
• Speak softly to children...they’re more likely to hear you.
• Praise and encouragement  enhance good behavior and teach children new skills.
• Avoid yelling. How do you like it? Anger erodes the bond.
• Remember what it’s like to be their age and how you wished your parents would have responded.
• Keep your promises to your children; be trustworthy.
• Don’t make idle threats. Let “no” be no and “yes” be yes and be sure they are age-appropriate.
• Tell your child why you love and are proud of them each day (not what they do, but because of who/how they are).
• Listen to their music to hear what is being fed to their mind and find out why this is important to them.
• Be adaptable; expose children to different situations so that he/she will be flexible enough to deal with stresses and challenges of life that come their way.
• Have a positive relationship with their other parent.
• Teach him/her self-acceptance by noticing more positive than negative in them...helping them to like themselves.
• Teach them independence; allow them to have choices over their own life, promoting good decision-making.
• Let them reap the consequences of their choices...they are valuable life lessons. Don’t “save” them.
• Be fun! Teach them how to have a good time and laugh.