Parenting

     Being a young single adult, I feel like there is not much I can possibly say about parenting because I have no children of myself. But, what if I told you you didn't have to have children to start becoming a great parent?
   
     This week we were able to discuss a bit about parenting, which I found very interesting because it was basically the same things I am currently learning in my parenting class. It has just been great to be able to learn how exactly to raise children. Did you know that parenting doesn't only influence children, but parents as well? Parents are able to develop divine attributes, understand children, and better understand God. As for children, they are able to have their needs be met, they are given a support system, have attachment needs met, and have intergenerational connections. 

     We talked in class about the main things a parent should focus on and those are:

- Protect
- Provide
- Survive
- Thrive

     The role as a parent is to protect your child and provide for them so that they can not only survive, but thrive as well. I feel like there are so many different parenting style, and I think that part of that might have to do a bit with culture. I could be wrong but growing up I noticed that a lot of my friends were expected to move out from their homes and figure out life on their own. Some of them were even kicked out. I know that having your child move out might be beneficial for them because they develop some independence which is good. In my family, children typically don't move out until they get married, or in mine and my sister's case, until we go to college. So, i'm assuming that there are other aspects of parenting that are also very different between cultures. For example, discipline. Because I have been taking a parenting class, I know that there are different ways to discipline, But can you discipline with love?

     The answer is YES! Most definitely. I'm really grateful to be taking the parenting class I'm taking this semester because it has shown me that to be a successful parent, we need to change our mindset. Sometimes as a parent it might be easy to think that your child is just throwing a tantrum, but in reality, they may have needs that aren't being met. It's easy to get upset at them for their behavior, but sometimes we just have to stop and really listen to what they need.

     Again, I am not a parent so I don't have any experience but I have learned a lot from a few books I've read in my parenting class. If you would like to learn more about how to become an effective parent read them! They are Anatomy of Peace, Unconditional Parenting, and Mindset.