888-765-5400Practical Parenting Tips for Creating a “Peaceful” Home
A parent has incredible power. When both parents agree, that power is more than doubled. If they disagree, their combined power drops to less than that of a single parent. Ex. When things get tough or hard, help your child learn perseverance by saying, “Press on- I know you are going to get it or make it” or “we are proud of you for hanging in there with your soccer even though you haven’t won any games yet.” If the job they are doing seems overwhelming, divide it into 2 or 3 sections and encourage a break in between.
Persuade your children to do the rotten jobs and chores first. When you look at the list of things to do, do the thing you didn’t even want to do on your own list …. and do it first. Otherwise, it will spoil the rest of your day. Help your child learn tasks! Start young, do them together and celebrate. Set a hurdle low and let them clear it before you raise it. Set time limits and teach them about time management. With all tasks: Let them watch you, let them help you, you help them and then you watch them!
Give your kids pocket money as soon as they are old enough not to eat it!! Pocket money (just like clothing, food, and love) is a privilege of belonging to a family and does not need to be earned. In the same way chores are responsibilities of belonging to a family, and are not done for rewards. There can be ways of earning extra cash as well. This is a good time to teach them giving and saving. 10% to church, 10% to piggy bank, 10% to charity.
If you want to talk to your son, invite him to help you clean the car, fix something, cut the lawn etc. Face to face works well with girls, but shoulder to shoulder while sharing a task is often best for boys. Don’t expect communication to flow quickly, (especially with teenagers), but it is more likely to happen during these times of shared activity.
The above tips are taken from a dear wise friend, Una Tapping. She recently visited Morehead City from Australia and shared her wonderful wisdom as a mom with our agent, Amanda Morrow.
For more information on health insurance coverage in North Carolina, please visit our website at www.nchealthplans.com or call our toll free number 888-765-5400 and speak to one of our qualified agents. Our agency provides coverage for health insurance in North Carolina through Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina (BCBSNC). You may qualify for a 15% healthy lifestyle discount if you are in excellent health. Call us for details.