How To Start Smart!

If you are reading this, you either have problems raising your children or you want to keep from having those problems. Both are valid reasons for becoming a Great Parent.

When my wife said we were about to be parents I was excited yet somewhat shocked. I was entering a new part of life of which I knew little. You might have felt similarly.

My true search for parenting wisdom came when my 3 year old threw a tantrum and not being sure of what to do I followed the advice I had read in a parenting book. I put my daughter on the porch and told her she could come back in the house when she stopped crying. Then I ignored her. Her tantrum roared. She was furious. I threw my hands up, not knowing what to do. I was frustrated, anxious and very worried. Honestly, I was scared my daughter would hate me, or maybe hate everyone.

My daughter didn’t react how the book said she’d react. Instead of quieting down she yelled and cried more. She was angry and determined to express that anger. A neighbor reported to the police that I was physically abusing my little girl.

I realized my daughter was not going to give in to the parenting book’s advice so I picked her up and hugged her instead. By the time the police actually knocked on my door Roxie was calm and happy. It suddenly struck me, I could be arrested. My daughter could be taken from me. I was not happy.

The police found nothing alarming and went away with an apology. There are too many ways this could have gone wrong. I was determined to never be an ignorant parent again.

It seemed to me that all those contradictory opinions on parenting had very limited application. So I invited several friends over to trade parenting know-how. We were a motley group of engineers, technicians, educators, craftsmen, artists, business owners, Moms and Dads etc.

The conversations were new. We came up with a mishmash of ideas that seemed to not fit together. This confusion suppresses our natural instincts. Many parents today doubt their own ability to train their children for success and happiness. These two abilities proved extremely valuable for children.

• How to solve problems and
• How to select their friends.

I got Peace and Quiet.

We embarked on what turned out to be a fabulous adventure ... A Parenting System That Works. We made great strides once we figured out

• Children were to be Happy, Cooperative and Self-Reliant;
• Parents had to be Happy, Worry-Free and Confident.
• Furthermore, parents wanted to Be Their Own Best Advisors.