10 Parenting Tips

1. Get ready to work hard…without any instruction. Parenting is tough work. Whether you are a stay at home parent or juggling your family with a full time job, it is tough stuff. My job history only extends from meconium to elementary t-ball so I definitely do not yet have tenure in this parenting career. Every day I remind myself that it is hard work. Work that comes with little hugs and kisses as a paycheck. And what is better than that.

2. There are good days and bad days. My sister told me early on to hang on if you and the kids have a bad day because tomorrow will be better. And if tomorrow still stinks, hang on until the next day… because it will get better.

3. You can do anything with sleep. As a parent, you may think this is impossible but it is so important that you have enough sleep. You can do anything with rest and a clear head. Lean toward family, friends and babysitters to help allow you to get rest so you can recharge!

4. Be careful what you agree to. During the 400 questions asked by a typical toddler throughout a day you may find yourself unconsciously answering “yes” to things that you really have no idea what the question even was because you were actually daydreaming of a quiet moment alone. And then coming home to find your son dressed in last halloween’s batman costume and climbing on top of the car and finding out that you had agreed to strap your son to the roof of the car so he could be a flying superhero. (Of course the idea was quickly retracted but he definitely reminded me I had sad “YES!” to his grand idea.)

5. Seek out support. Have someone you can lean on to answer the tough questions, someone that has been there before. If only we had a child expert hotline to dial in the middle of a situation, like the movie Click where you can hit “pause” and call the emergency hotline. “Yeah, my 4 year old just sat in the 3 year old’s chair and then the 3 year old just pushed him out of the chair and now they are both lying on the floor screaming uncontrollably. I have tried to reason with them. Where do I go from here.” The perfect solution on the other end of the line as if they glanced into the room and determined the perfect outcome and within two words everyone is smiling and laughing again.

6. You are going to make mistakes. Parenting is definitely trial and error and you must have patience with yourself as you learn. I feel that the reason that memories really start to kick in around age 4, so that the parents have a trial and error period that the children don’t remember.

7. Keep good notes. Keep a journal next to your bed, one for each child and jot down notes about your kids, what they said for the day, what you were doing on a particular day. Don’t stress about how often you write in it, just grab it whenever you remember. You will forget the little things and it is so fun to look back and laugh. Tell them what they were like at 2, at 6 and at 16. They will love to hear the little stories when they are older.

8. Never miss your kid’s plays or performances – no matter how small. I almost missed my daughter’s play performance at the end of last year. No, I am not a horrible mother but it was 8th performance of the year and I just didn’t know how they were going to mix up twinkle twinkle little star a new way that would require me jump away from work. Of course at the last minute I grabbed my keys and ran out the door. It was the sweetest twinkle twinkle she ever sang.

9. Don’t judge. I have learned not to judge other parents for what they are or aren’t doing because they are likely trying their hardest and you don’t know their circumstances. You may find yourself judging a parent for something that you end up doing yourself. Have compassion for other parents and know that we are all in this journey together.

10. Tell your kids you love them, often. Kids can never hear this enough.