Parenting

It’s that time again for another blog post. For this week, we learned about different areas that relate to parenting. Compared to any other job out there, parenting should be considered the most important job there is. The purposes of parenting are to help train the next generation to live effectively. Another way of putting it is to protect and prepare children to survive and thrive in the world in which they live. The videos that we watched relating to parenting focused on how we can effectively parent a teenager. When children are young they are usually good about following the rules that parents outline for them, but it is a different story for teenagers. Once children reach their teenage years their minds become active in engaging in risky behavior. One example of this was a video that showed a boy sneak out the window of his bedroom early in the morning and came home an hour later. Though he was able to sneak back into his room through the window, his parents came in upset with him for being out late. Initially, the video showed the parents expressing anger and frustration that their son would disobey the rules they had set to sneak out of the house to be with his friends. The lesson with this video is that the communication between the parents and the teenager could have been calmer. When a child breaks a rule, it is natural to respond in anger but doing so may only make the situation worse. Also, in another video, the spokeswoman broke down in detail three different parenting styles that can be displayed in different family environments. The first parenting style mentioned was the autocratic, also known as either the dictator or authoritarian. This style views that the parent is the one in charge and whatever they say is not up for debate. The second one is the doormat parenting style, also known as permissive. This style views that parents succumb to the demands of the child. The reason that some parents may adopt this approach is that they fear losing a relationship with their child. Research for both of these styles has found that they are not as effective as the authoritative style, also known as “active” parenting. The active parenting style adopts both of the first two styles but balances them accordingly. Parents need to be willing to set clear guidelines with their children but must respond calmly when a child makes a mistake. The same thing applies to when they do a good job of completing a chore, they need that feeling of gratitude from their parents.

Throughout my life, I wish that I were a harder worker growing up, but my life was different compared to other families. There were times that I can remember my mother asking me to do something, but for some reason or another, I would not do it. I honestly cannot remember why, but my mother told me one time that she was irritated when she had to ask me to do something more than once. Though I don’t recall being a rebellious child, there were times that I would not do what my mother had asked me to do. On the other hand, though, I have had my moments of doing certain tasks to surprise my mother. When she found out what chores I had done, she would compliment me on a job well done and was appreciative that she did not have to ask me to do it. One of the things that I love about the relationship with my mother is that we like to surprise each other with gifts. There will be times that I am not aware a surprise is coming until my mother presents it to me. Other times I would use the same approach to my mother by hiding the surprise until I can present it to her. Though my life was different compared to other families, I am grateful for the discipline and love that my mother has shown towards me. Out of all these styles of parenting, my mother is viewed as being an active parent in my mind. She has also been there for me, in both the good times and the bad. During the time that I was a missionary, I am truly grateful for my loving heavenly parents, my mission president, and the support of my family. Without either of these individuals in my life, it would have been difficult to have completed my mission. Not only are families important, but the way that we train them up makes all the difference. I hope to become an effective parent someday just like my mother has been an effective parent towards me.