Blog post #2

How should adults in 2012 "parent" thier children? Lend your opinion on how this should be done. Think about the approach your parents/guardians have taken in raising you. Consider the parenting you've seen of others in your peer group (how your extended family parents your cousins, or how your friends parents deal with your friends), and finally, think about the parent you might want to be someday. How would you go about raising your children? What standards would you hold them to (if any), what rules would you impose (if any)?

 Parenting is a hard job. There are many different teaching styles and some work better then others depending on the family. There is no right or wrong way to parent your children. In my opinion, its important to make sure there is a certain level of respect between parent and child. Kids need to realize their parents are authority figures. However, that goes both ways. Children deserve the same. While respect is essential, so is trust and friendship in a family. Having a good, comfortable relationship with your parents can pay off. I can say from experience, that I have a very close bond with my mom. I can go to her about everything and I rarely have to lie to her. We have a lot of respect for each other and she trusts me to be responsible and make my own mistakes. From being with my friends, I have observed the differences between them and my family. A lot of my friends have strict parents and that works for them, but personally, I wouldn't be as obedient and mature as I am if my parents were the same. Overall, I am arguing that the way you treat your children is a personal decision and each child needs to be handled differently.

Being a parent is not something I think about very often. Its something that you learn with age. However, if I had children, it wold be important to me to have an appropriate level of respect and honesty. I think those are the two most critical elements to a good parent-child relashionship. I would allow them to make their own mistakes and learn from them just as my parents have done with me. My children would know that I always expect them to be the best they can me and follow my rules. A lot of the enforced rules would be similar to the ones my parents have made me follow. Also, I would teach them many of the values I have learned growing up. My parents would be a big influence on my parenting style because they taught me well and I want to follow their example.