Resources for Parents

Sadly, neither one of my children came to our home equipped with a user manual. So I quite often find myself searching for answers to my parenting questions in a variety of places.

The number one place to look is the scriptures. I've posted some of my favorites before here and here and here.

As I'm sure you've already noticed, I gain great strength and insight from reading the words of our latter-day leaders on the topics of mothering and children and families.

Another great resource is Strengthening the Family: Resource Guide for Parents.
It's a course developed by LDS Family Services to "help you understand the principles of effective parenting, improve your parenting skills, rear happy and successful children, and foster harmonious and loving relationships in the home." Sounds like something I can definitely use! The great thing is that you don't actually have to leave your home to take the course. The course manual is available to download here.

The course covers nine topics, all with a foundation focused on gospel principles.

* Parenting Principles and Practices
* Understanding Child Development
* Communicating with Love
* Nurturing Children
* Fostering Confidence
* Overcoming Anger
* Resolving Conflict
* Teaching Responsible Behavior
* Applying Consequences

I highly recommend taking a look!

The most recent parenting book I've read is Have a New Kid by Friday by Dr. Kevin Leman.

While I don't agree with everything in this book, it does offer some very practical suggestions for parents. The biggest take-home message I got from the book was to develop a positive relationship with your child, be consistent, and allow for natural consequences. The key the author emphasized repeatedly is to:

1. Say it once
2. Turn your back
3. Walk away

If you would like to learn more from this book, check out my notes over on my reading list.

Just today, Marie over at Make and Takes posted a simple tip for communicating with your young children. When you ask a question, don't expect them to answer right away. Sometimes their maturing brains just need a little more processing time to formulate an answer. Her rule of thumb is to give a child 5 seconds to respond after you ask them a question.

What resources have you found helpful as a parent?