A PARENT'S PRAYER O Heavenly Father, make me a better parent. Teach me to understand my children, to listen patiently to what they have to say, and to answer all their questions kindly. Keep me from interrupting them or contradicting them. Make me as courteous to them as I would have them be to me. Forbid that I should ever laugh at their mistakes or resort to shame or ridicule when they displease me. May I never punish them for my own selfish satisfaction or to show my power. Let me not tempt my children to lie or steal. And guide me hour by hour that I may demonstrate by all that I say and do that honesty produces happiness. When I'm out of sorts, help me O Lord, to hold my tongue. May I ever be mindful that my children are children and I should not expect of them the judgment of adults. Let me not rob them of the opportunity to wait on themselves and to make decisions. Bless me with the bigness to grant them all their reasonable requests and the courage to deny them privileges I know will do them harm. Make me fair and just and kind and fit, O Lord, to be loved and respected and imitated by my children

Ways to Love a Child Give your presence more than your presents. Laugh, dance and sing together. Listen from a heart-space. Encourage. Understand. Allow them to love themselves. Say yes as often as possible. Say no when necessary. Honor their no's. Apologize. Touch gently. Build lots of blanket forts. Open up. Fly kites together. Lighten up. Believe in possibilities. Read books out loud. Create a circle of quiet. Teach feelings. Share your dreams. Walk in the rain. Celebrate mistakes. Admit yours. Frame their artwork. Stay up late together. Eliminate comparison. Delight in silliness. Handle with care. Protect them. Cherish their innocence. Giggle. Speak kindly. Go swimming. Splash. Let them help. Let them cry. Don't hide your tears. Brag about them. Answer their questions. Let them go when it's time. Let them come back. Show compassion. Bend down to talk to children. Smile even when you're tired. Surprise with a special lunch. Don't judge their friends. Give them enough room to make decisions. Love all they do. Honor their differences. Respect them. Remember they have not been on earth very long.

DON'T SPOIL ME Don't spoil me. I know quite well that I ought not to have all I ask for ... I'm only testing you. Don't be afraid to be firm with me. I prefer it .. it makes me feel more  secure. Don't correct me in front of people if you can help it. I'll take much more notice if you talk to me in private. Don't make me feel that my mistakes are sins. It upsets my sense of values. Don't be too upset if I say "I hate you." It isn't that I hate you, but only that I need your attention. Don't protect me from consequence. I need to learn the hard way. Don't take too much notice of my small ailment. Sometimes they get me the attention I want. Don't nag. If you do, I shall have to protect myself by appearing deaf. Don't make rash promises. Remember that I feel badly let down when promises are broken. Don't forget that I cannot explain myself as well as I should like. This is why I'm not always accurate. Don't tax my honesty too much. I am easily frightened into telling lies. Don't be inconsistent. That completely confuses me and makes me lose my faith in you. Don't put me off when I ask you questions. If you do, you will find that I stop asking and seek my information elsewhere. Don't tell me my fears are silly. They are terribly real and you can do much to try to understand. Don't ever suggest that you are perfect or infallible. It gives me too great a shock when I discover that you are neither. Don't ever think it beneath your dignity to apologize to me. An honest apology makes me feel surprisingly warm to you. Don't forget how quickly I am growing up. It must be very difficult for you to keep pace with me but please try. Don't forget I love experimenting. I couldn't get along without it, so put up with it. Don't forget that I can't thrive without lots of love. But I don't need to tell you all the time, do I?

How do I love you? How do I love you? Let me count the ways. I love you on your very best... and very worst of days. I love to see you laughing and dancing in the rain. And even when you lose your shoes, I love you just the same. I love to hear you singing. I love to see you smile. I love the way you take each day In your own unhurried style. I’m happy when you’re happy, and I’m sorry when your sad. And even though it may not show, I love you when you’re bad. How do I love you? Well, now let me see... I love the way you act so brave When you fall and hurt your knee. I love to watch you sleeping Tucked away in dreams. I love to hear you whisper All your giant plans and schemes. I love to the way you wear your pants with the front part in the back. And the way you walk around sometimes With your head inside a sack. I love to see you deep in thought. I love to watch you play. And though I’m sure you’ll never know, I love you more each day. How do I love you? It’s impossible to say For if I had a million days And time enough for all the praise, I couldn’t tell you all the ways... I LOVE YOU

I Loved You Enough..... Some day when my children are old enough to understand the logic that motivates a parent, I will tell them: I loved you enough to ask where you were going, with whom, and what time you would be home. I loved you enough to insist that you save your money and buy a bike for yourself even though we could afford to buy one for you. I loved you enough to be silent and let you discover that your new best friend was a creep. I loved you enough to make you take a Milky Way back to the drugstore (with a bite out of it) and tell the clerk, "I stole this yesterday and want to pay for it." I loved you enough to stand over you for two hours while you cleaned your room, a job that would have taken 15 minutes. I loved you enough to let you see anger, disappointment and tears in my eyes. Children must learn that their parents aren't perfect. I loved you enough to let you assume the responsibility for your actions even when the penalties were so harsh they almost broke my heart. But most of all, I loved you enough to say NO when I knew you would hate me for it. Those were the most difficult battles of all. I'm glad I won them, because in the end you won, too.

POSITIVE PARENTING By: Dr. Denis Waitley Take a moment to listen today to what your children are trying to say. Listen today whatever you do, or they won't be there to listen to you. Listen to their problems, listen to their needs. Praise their smallest triumphs. Praise their smallest deeds. Amplify their laughter. Tolerate their chatter. Find out what they're after. Find out what's the matter. But tell them that you love them every single night. And although you scold them, make sure you hold them, and tell them they're all right. If we tell our children all the bad in them we see, they'll grow up exactly how we hope they'd never be. But, if we tell our children we're so proud to wear their name, they'll grow up believing that they're winners in the game.

WHICH PARENT ARE YOU? "I got two A's" the small boy cried. His voice was filled with glee. His father very bluntly asked, "Why didn't you get three?" "Mom, I've got the dishes done," The girl called from the door. Her mother very calmly said, "Did you sweep the floor?" "I've mowed the grass," the tall boy said. "And put the mower away." His father asked him, with a shrug, "Did you clean off the clay?" The children in the house next door Seem happy and content. The same things happen over there, But this is how it went: "I got two A's," the small boy cried. His voice was filled with glee. His father very proudly said, "That's great! I'm glad you belong to me." "Mom, I've got the dishes done," The girl cried from the door. Her mother smiled and softly said, "Each day I love you more." "I've mowed the grass," the tall boy said, "And put the mower away." His father answered with much joy, "You've made my happy day." Children deserve a little praise For tasks they're asked to do, If they're to lead a happy life, So much depends on you.

If I Had My Child to Raise Over Again If I had my child to raise all over again, I'd finger-paint more, and point the fingers less. I would do less correcting and more connecting. I'd take my eyes off my watch, and watch with my eyes. I would care to know less and know to care more. I'd take more hikes and fly more kites. I'd stop playing serious, and seriously play. I would run through more fields and gaze at more stars. I'd do more hugging and less tugging. I'd build self-esteem first, and the house later. I would be firm less often, and affirm much more. I'd teach less about the love of power, And more about the power of love. ~By Diane Loomans

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