Don't Quit Now

 

9 Types of Parents: Which Group Are You In?

Are you aware of one of the most powerful parenting tools for parenting children?

 

Most parents assume that all parenting methods are the same. Understanding what parenting style is so crucial, that it beats nearly all of the other parenting tools out there. That's because your parenting style affects everything you do, say, and even think about your children.

 

1. Self-Assured Motivator

If you are this personality type, you are driven to succeed to the fullest. You are a drawn to beauty, and you and your children are always dressed to the tee. You project an aura of elegance and refinement, even under the worst circumstances.

On the unhealthy end, you may be more concerned with flaunting your beauty and superiority. You are competitive, and look down on the less fortunate. For you love and success depend on recognition by others of your superior ability. You often push your children too far, demanding that they perform according to your desires and expectations-no matter what their talents, aspirations, or skills.

2. The Rule Maker

If you are this type of parent, you tend to place great value on following the rules. You focus not on having fun, but in making sure your children do what is right. You place great importance on order and structure and you are careful to train your children to be obedient from an early age.

In the ideal form, you are able to motivate your children by your strong conviction in doing what is right. You are able to accept the fact that children make mistakes, and to take into account the individual differences of children that make a difference in how they behave.

On the other hand, if you are on the unhealthy end of the spectrum, you can be perfectionist, controlling, and impersonal. You have a difficult time tolerating others’ weaknesses or mistakes, and so are often extremely critical of others.

Sometimes you also tend to project your own forbidden thoughts and desires on others. You see everyone else as “bad,” because you are unable to admit to the shame and self-hatred you feel about their own perceived failures.

3. Altruistic Giver

If you fall into this category, your focus is on feelings. Ideally, you desire to love and protect others. You need to be important and appreciated by others, and you crave physical closeness. You are known as someone who can be counted on to help others, no matter what.

You have a tremendous ability to give to others, and so it is natural for you to help your family, neighbors, and even strangers, far beyond what most would be willing to do. You are also able to love your children unconditionally, and unselfishly; you give because you enjoy doing so, not in order to get something back.

If you are on the unhealthy spectrum, you still enjoy giving to your children, but you feel dependent on their approval. It’s sometimes hard for you to discipline your children firmly and consistently, because you are so concerned about them loving you.

Because you have a need to feel loved- but never really feel loved at any given point in time-you are very caught up in trying to gain approval. You may spread yourself so thin helping everyone else out that there is very little time left over for your own family. On the other hand, you can be very overprotective, in an attempt to control your children and ensure that they need you.

Enjoyed reading so far? Then visit our site at http://teachingthefuture.net for the full 9 parenting types!

You are 1 in 7 BILLION people

Sometimes finding great parenting solutions requires taking a look at the big picture. Take a look at this video, and see where YOU fit into the 7 billion people (and growing) that occupy the world.

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This afternoon and evening, as you feed your children, teach your students, or care for your elderly parents, why not reconsider what difference YOU make in the world. If you don't know how...then find out.

What's Your Excuse?

Parenting takes on new meaning when you read about this little fighter:

Ellie lost her hands and legs to meningitis at the age of 18 months. Although she was outfitted with standard prosthetic limbs, they were too painful. She also complained that she couldn't keep up with her twin sister Sophie. She is the youngest ever to be fitted with the new prosthesis, developed by Dorset Orthopedic.

No, this post is not meant to make you feel guilty. But it should make you think: all of those times when you complain about lousy coffee or not having enough money to pay the bills-what's really important in life? And when you turn down a friend's or stranger's request because you don't have the energy or time, is it really true? Couldn't you just give a little bit extra-like little Ellie here-and make the world a better place to be? After all, Ellie has no choice how to lead her life. You do.

Learning By Playing: Video Games in the Classroom

Talk about school tips! I read this in the NY Times Education section and found it pretty unbelievable: has no one seen the research on what video games do to kids' brains? Tell me what you think...

Teach Your Children Well

 

I had a conversation today with a friend about teaching children values. She was reluctant to go heavy on the values bit with her kids (who are 5 and 3), because she wants to wait until they are old enough to make their own decisions.

"Excuse me??!!" I couldn't believe my ears.

"Let me get that clear. You want to what?" I asked her again, just to be sure I heard right.

"Well, yeah," she explained kind of sheepishly. "I don't want to confuse them. I want them to be strong, independent. They're going to have make their own choices in life, so why should I confuse them? I'll wait until they're older, and then I'll be able to explain them everything logically."

If that isn't dumb, dumber, and dumbest, I don't know what is. What makes her think that by the time her kids get that old, they will suddenly be interested in what she has to say? Parents, if this sounds good to you, then you are making a HUGE MISTAKE.

If you want your children to learn how to make good decisions, you have to give them the stuff that good decisions are made of: information, and values. And, you have to realize that young children aren't really capable of making the kind of major decisions you're talking about. They see things black and white, and the kind of choices my friend is talking about are far from black and white. Furthermore, in this day and age, refusing to teach your children values is like taking them white-water rafting but refusing to teach them to swim.

They will DROWN. Because if you don't teach your kids something, then someone else WILL. Whether they pick it up from friends, television, books, or the internet, they will get it, and millions of dollars are being spent to ensure they DO get it. Then you'll find yourself with an 11 year old spouting such nonsense-or worse-that you practically melt on the spot like the Wicked Witch of the West.

Do yourself a favor. Decide on what you believe in, and share it daily with your children. Talk to them about it, sing with them about it, read to them about it. Your kids need to know who they are, and who you are is what you believe, whether you like it or not. Education plays a role, and so does what you experience, but you can rise or sink depending on what you believe - or don't believe - in.

What if you could say, "I don't have a problem in the world?"

What does it mean to be successful?

I found this video on Jeff Herring's blog, and thought I'd pass it on to you.

This is a video about Johnnie Tuitel , a motivational speaker with cerebral palsy, who was kicked off a US Airways flight because he was “too disabled to fly.” He was flying to speak at a convention, and missed his gig because of the U.S. Airways decision.

So many times we complain about not having everything we need to fulfill our dreams, or we blame others for our lack of success. Perhaps we need to really take a deeper look at ourselves, and realize that the only thing that stops us from success is ourselves.