How To Raise A Great Parent

Raising Great Parents is a book that was shared on one of the blogs that I follow.  I have not read this book so I am not familiar with all of the content, but I loved this excerpt and had to share it with you.

 Do not aim to raise great kids, aim to be a great parent.

How do you do that?

Begin by recognizing that the only behaviour you can actually control is your own.  Here is a great example: the kids are acting up at bedtime, arguing and disrupting book time.  Instead of barking orders to control them (“Stop fighting!”) or feeling powerless in the face of their behaviour (“Why are you ruining my special time?”), simply close the book and tell them, “I will read when the room is quiet.” 

Now you have control–over yourself.  In effect, your words mean, “I can’t make you do it, so I will decide for myself what I will do in this situation.  I’m going to … decide what’s going to happen next — to me. (33) 

It’s important for us to set the example and be quiet.

Thinking back over the last 16 years, I can remember being in this situation many times at bedtime.   It is so easy to get frustrated especially when our expectations are so high.  We envision a quiet and peaceful reading time at the end of the day.  As soon as something funny is read, all silliness breaks loose, and our control is lost.  It’s hard when we are tired from a long day to be patient.

Ephesians 4:2 “Be completely humble and gentle, be patient, bearing with one another in love.”