All you parents..
 

I'm taking a psychology course as I need a certain number of gened (non-math science) classes for my engineering degree. I'm not even half way through the class and it's already such an eye opener. Some of my life's greatest lessons are being learnt right now. The fundamentals of what kind of a parent I will (hope to) be are being instilled me.

What I have learnt so far most definitely cannot be summed up in a thread. This thread is not meant to give any specific advice (esp since I have no experience as a parent), but is just here to serve as a friendly reminder since we all get swept in the endless business of life. So that we don't forget to invest in what is most dear to us:

I'd just like to remind all of you who still have kids (esp the little ones) at home, as to how impressionable they are at this age. How they are shaped at this age will most likely commad the rest of their lives. Remember that how they will deal with relationships later on, how they deal with the tough times, how they resist drugs, drinking and driving, you name it, it'll be dictated to a large extent now. Your children are especially learning a lot from you (good and a little bad), when you're not directly interacting with them..when they are watching. What you put in is what comes out, so if you don't agree with something in your offspring, you know who to question. Set the best examples you can!

Remember that this thread is not based on anything specific; it is meant to be very general. Childhood wasn't that long ago for me, so take this also as perspective from the other side of the table.


:) Vignesh

How much of that psychology course covered the Paris Hilton, Britney, news media effect. Talk about impressionable? Abc news covered the effect that some of these so-called role models are having on young girls. Even something as simple as trying to buy some respectable clothing is nearly impossible. Just picture a parent trying to give a child a moral compass when every child you see dresses like a Hollywood hooker. Now add to that drugs, drinking and driving and you got a recipe for rebellion. No not every child is like that but generally speaking many parents find themselves in a paradox trying to raise their children in a sex crazed, materialistic world.

In many ways i feel sorry for young people. Society and sometime parents are responsible for raising children too fast. It's really a shame. :rolleyes:

I agree fully with both of these posts.

Spend as much time with them as u can... I coach my kids in sports, take em to the movies(think i saw every kids movie last year), help them with their homework, i also take em fishing which seems to teach them the quality of patience in order to complete a task especially considering how bad a fisherman i am. And finally hugg them as much as u can ( my wife thinks i overdo this one).

i also think that if u had a father that was never around for u as a kid then u tend to make sure that doesn't happen to u're little ones

If u can read this, thank a teacher. If this is written in english, thank a soldier

Gawd, what beautiful girls! Never had kids.
Just seems like I see too many kids running
loose and outta control. Sometimes it just
looks like the kids are a fashion statement
to some of these parents. It breaks my heart.

Great photo sounds like you are a great father.

Girls are great kids but watch out when they hit the teen years.

Quotes from a parent

Parents lend children their experience and a vicarious memory; children endow their parents with a vicarious immortality.
How pleasant it is for a father to sit at his child's board. It is like the aged man reclining under the shadow of the oak which he has planted.
Parents are the bone on which children sharpen their teeth.
By the time a man realizes that maybe his father was right,he usually has a son who thinks he's wrong

Sooner or later we all quote our mothers. My mother had a great deal of trouble with me, but i think she enjoyed it. The most remarkable thing about my mother is that she served the family leftovers for 25 years, the original meal has never been found. The art of mothering is to teach the art of living to children. The central struggle of parenthood is to let our hopes for our children outweigh our fears

Awesome, I'm actually currently taking a marriage and family therapy class for my psych degree, very interesting indeed!!!

What does that tell you about the effectiveness of today's parents?..

I agree that it's probably a lot tougher being a parent in today's world, but kids aren't like this without any reason. Perhaps parenting is on the slip lately. When I look around, it almost seems like my generation in this country fcuked. It is a fact that girls esp rely on their father figures. These divorce rates aren't helping matters at all either. I feel sorry for kids who get tangled in those messes.

I'm sure in 60s people felt the same way about their youth. Time will tell..

That's not true in my case. My parents had it way harder raising the four of us than I do now raising my two kids.

My parents brought us to Canada owing the shirts on our backs so that we could have a better life. They had little education and didn't speak a word of English. Yet they managed to raise four young kids, repay their debts, buy their own house and start their own business within 5 years. I can't imagine how hard it was on them. I'm humbled by the fact that the most I have to worry about is how to juggle swimming lessons, shopping and a birthday party on the same Saturday. My goal is to make sure my kids grow up knowing where it all comes from and what it actually means.