I have lots of New Year's resolution -- some for others, the rest for me. There's so much I'd like to change, I even made categories for myself: health (daily flossing); career (get organized); family (more travel); wealth (more aggressive investing). And, of course, the biggie: parenting (be a better mom).
Oh, but what does that last one mean, "better mom." More homebaked pastries? A higher-end laundry detergent? Patiently listening to stories after the lights go out at bedtime that never, ever, ever end (ever)?
No? None of that? Really? Not according to Parents magazine. They've come up with 8 ways to be a better parent and none of them involve patience, playing Princess without scowling, or using "I" statements and reflective listening when telling my kid to not throw her fork. These things are easy enough for some of our more famous not-so-great parents to do.
1. Avoid comparisons and labels. (But my friend's kid can ...)
2. Walk the talk (you mean I shouldn't scream at my daughter to stop screaming?)
3. Let your child make mistakes. (Check!)
4. Do nothing. (Check! Check!)
5. Avoid food rewards. (For the kids, it's too late for yourself.)
6. Look behind bad behavior. (Hmmmmm. But when do I get to explode?)
7. Trust your gut. (It's been good to me before.)
8. Be ready to embrace change. (But I like the way .... oh, all right.)
That's a pretty good list. Now, if I find any tips on better flossing, I'll post those too.
