What Is Parenting?
Parenting is the process of actively providing a safe, secure, nurturing environment for your children.  It requires flexibility to meet the unique needs of individual children, the firmness to set needed limits and the maturity to sometimes set aside your needs and desires for the benefit of your children.

Is Parenting Natural?
People are not born with the essential skills to be parents, although some people have a natural temperament that makes it easier for them to parent.  To some degree, learning how to parent involves considerable trial and error.  Parents who are open to learning how to improve their parenting skills usually become better parents over the course of time.

Does A Parent's Role Change?
A parent's role changes as children grow up.  When children are young, this role is to nurture, protect and guide them.  Parents must continue to do this, but to a lesser extent, as children grow older.  As children mature, the most important role parents take on is to help prepare them to be independent.

What Do Children Need From Parents?
Children need to receive messages from their parents that they are lovable, capable and special in positive ways.  They need to know that their parents are available when they need help and support and are eager to be present to witness their accomplishments.  They also need parents to provide an atmosphere that is mentally and physically challenging and stimulating.

How Can I Improve As A Parent?
Learning how to be a parent is an ongoing process. When in doubt about your parenting, talk to other parents, attend parenting classes, and gather information from books, magazines, television, and radio.  If you still have major concerns, consult with a professional who specializes in working with parents and children.

• Be a role model
• Communicate
• Delegate responsibility
• Discipline with love
• Encourage social skills
• Love unconditionally
• Make your home safe
• Show affection
• Spend time together

Basic Parenting Guidelines

• Be as consistent as possible
• Listen to your children so they know what they say is important.
• Let your children know they're loved, even when their behavior is out of line.
• Acknowledge the behaviors children display that are important to you.
• When you and your children need to compromise, remember that parents always make the final decisions.

Guidelines for Children Left Alone
The following guidelines may be used if the child has no physical or mental disabilities, if the condition is not chronic and the environment is safe.  Cultural differences, neighborhoods that have familiar arrangements, and other factors can be exceptions to these guidelines.

Pre-School Never left alone without adult supervision. Grade School (Latchkey children) Can be left alone for approximately one or two hours during the day if he has access to a responsible adult, is not caring for younger children and demonstrates the ability to be responsible and mature. Junior High Could be left alone for periods of time, approximately 4 hours, during the daytime or evening hours and can care for one or two younger children if there is constant access to a responsible adult. High School Can be left alone and can care for younger children unless the responsibility is too great (such as four younger children), the length of time is too long (such as all night, every night), or the teenager is not reliable and mature.

10 Ways To Handle The Stress Of Parenting

1. Take time out (preferably every day) to do something just for yourself.
2. Keep your relationship with your spouse strong--you need each other's support.  If you don't have a spouse, build a support system of friends and relatives.
3. Experience the joys of seeing your children grow and develop.
4. Remember that children will make mistakes, be inconsistent, act selfishly and be thoughtless--this is part of being an average child.
5. If you feel overwhelmed, arrange for help to relieve you of some of your responsibilities so you can focus more on caring for your children.
6. Accept the fact that parenting often involves putting the fulfillment of your own needs and desires on hold.
7. Let yourself laugh when things you try don't go exactly as planned.
8. Change your routine whenever possible--sameness can be wearing.
9. Spend time with friends.  Share your concerns about parenting with them.
10. Let the "child" in you come out and play with your children. 

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