Parent to Parent Support Project
"Ten Aspects of Good Parenting"
1. Teach and model important life skills.
Show your children how to make good decisions, maintain a safe household, manage money, maintain friendships and take care of themselves and others. Teach your child how to be a self advocate, withstand peer pressure, and cope with adversity, change and loss.
2. Provide structure.
Set clear rules and limits for your children and follow through with consequences. Be consistent. Talk about family values and expectations of family members. Prioritize family time. Teach your child how to tolerate and adapt to different structures.
3. Have effective family communication.
Have weekly family meetings. Make time to talk with and listen to your child each day. Teach your child how to identify and articulate feelings and needs. Model and teach good problem-solving skills. Encourage honesty.
4. Help your child to develop strengths and interests.
Notice your child's strengths and interests, and talk to your child about them. Encourage your child to explore his or her interests. Help your child to use his or her strengths and interests to promote success in areas of life that are challenging.
5. Be involved in all areas of your child's life.
Know your child's friends and their families. Be involved in your child's education and school. Be involved in your child's community. Facilitate friendships and experiences for your child that can enrich your child's life.
6. Have family traditions.
Develop activities, sayings, celebrations, and rituals that are symbolic for your family. Maintain a record of your family traditions; use photo albums, keepsakes, videos, family journals, or share stories with family members.
7. Be an informed parent.
Learn all you can about parenting your child. Be aware of typical developmental milestones, health concerns, and common behavioral issues. Be familiar with your child's disability and its impact on your child as an individual. Seek out professionals that are knowledgeable about your child's disability and work well with your family. Connect to other parents, parent-friendly agencies, and resources within your community that can help support your efforts.
8. Take care of yourself.
It is easier to parent a child when you feel good. Try to maintain your health by eating right, exercising, and having enough sleep. Maintain connections and activities that replenish your energy and spirit. Have a comprehensive support system that is easily accessible to you when you need it. Recognize when you need breaks and develop a plan to ensure you get them.
9. Give your children everything they need and almost nothing that they want.
Help your child to understand the difference between needs and wants. This is a difficult concept to grasp in our society of immediate gratification. Teach your child how to control impulses and how to cope with societal pressures. Limit your use of material items for rewards. Help your child internalize the good feeling of doing the right thing versus doing it because they will receive a reward.
10. Have fun with your children.
Try to take some time each day to enjoy your child. There is nothing more entertaining than watching children experience life. Think of their smile, the way they look at you, and their ever-evolving interpretations of the world around them. Your child gives essential meaning to every aspect of your life. Sometimes, given the pressures of daily life, we forget just how precious our child is.
PACER's site offers many PDF files for download, which require