The Rules of Parenting

Description

Some parents make it look so easy.

They are eternally calm, have great relationships with their kids, and seem to have parenting down to a fine art. But is this really possible? How do they do it? Have you ever wondered what makes them so good?

These parents do many things right but have one thing in common. They know The Rules of Parenting. The set of golden behaviours that help you to help your kids look after themselves, enjoy life, be caring and kind, and help you to enjoy the whole experience too.

The Rules of Parenting is the reassuring support that thousands have been searching for. You don’t have to be a perfect parent, and you don’t have to have perfect children; this book will tell you why.

Templar’s simple rules will reveal the small things that you can do to make a big difference; the behaviours, the motivations, the ways of thinking that will help you through both the early and later years of

parenting. None of them guarantee success, but they all increase your chances of bringing up happy, healthy children. And they will all show you how to remain sane, keep your sense of humour and be a great parent; after all, it’s an important job to get right.

The Rules of Parenting puts everything in perspective and you in control. A simple set of principles and behaviours that will guide you smoothly through the challenge of being a parent.

Contents

Introduction

Rules for staying sane

1. Relax
2. No one is perfect
3. Know what you’re good at
4. Almost any rule can be broken occasionally
5. Don’t try to do everything
6. You don’t have to follow every piece of advice you get (including this one)
7. It's normal to want to escape
8. You’re allowed to hide from your kids
9. Parents are people too
10. Don’t ignore your relationship with your partner

Attitude Rules

1. Love is not enough
2. Every recipe needs different ingredients  
3. Look pleased to see them
4. Treat your child with respect
5. Enjoy their company
6. Being tidy isn’t as important as you think  
7. Good parenting is calculated risk taking
8. Keep your worries to yourself  
9. See things from their point of view
10. Parenting is not a competitive sport

Everyday Rules

1. Let them get on with it  
2. Teach them to think for themselves
3. Use praise wisely
4. Know the value of boundaries  
5. Bribery doesn't have to be bad
6. Moods are catching
7. You're setting their eating patterns for life
8. Communicate  
9. Set clear targets  
10. Don’t be a nag

Discipline Rules

1. Present a united front  
2. Carrots beat sticks
3. Be consistent
4. Lighten up  
5. Focus on the problem, not the person
6. Don't paint yourself into a corner  
7. If you lose your temper, you’re the loser  
8. Apologise if you get it wrong
9. Let them back in
10. The right of expression

Personality Rules

1. Find out what incentives work for your child  
2. Every child should have something they know they're good at  
3. Learn to appreciate the qualities that remind you of someone else
4. Look for similiarities between you  
5. Find qualities to admire in them
6. Let them be better than you
7. Their attitude is as important as their achievements
8. Keep your fears and insecurities to yourself  
9. Mind your programming
10. Don't try to have a perfect child

Sibling Rules

1. Give them each other
2. Recognise that squabbling is healthy (within reason)
3. Teach them to sort out their own arguments
4. Work as a team
5. Let them entertain each other
6. Never compare children with each other
7. Different children need different rules
8. Don’t have a favourite  
9. Mix and match
10. Find each child’s strengths

School Rules

1. Schooling isn't the same as education
2. School comes as a package
3. Fight your child's corner
4. Bullying is always serious
5. Teach them to stand up for themselves
6. Put up with friends of theirs you don't like
7. Remember you're their parent, not their teacher
8. Don't mollycoddle them
9. Let up the pressure
10. They have to live with their choices (and it's ok)

Teenage Rules

1. Don't Panic  
2. Remember Newton's Third Law  
3. Give them a voice
4. Don’t look under the mattress
5. Running around after them doesn't help anybody
6. Don't stand in front of a speeding train  
7. Yelling isn't the answer
8. Everything comes with strings
9. Show some respect for the things they care about
10. Adopt a healthy attitude to sex

Crisis Rules

1. Don’t use your kids as ammunition  
2. Let them cope in their own way
3. Being younger doesn't necessarily speed everything up
4. The aftershock can last forever
5. Tell them what’s going on  
6. Teach them to fail successfully
7. It's better to agree than to be right
8. All your actions speak louder than any of your words
9. Make sure they know they’re priority no. 1
10. You can’t fix everything

Grown-up Rules

1. Back off
2. Wait until they ask for advice  
3. Treat them as adults
4. Don’t try to be their best friend
5. Encourage them regardless
6. Leave the strings off
7. Don’t guilt-trip them
8. Remember they still need you  
9. It’s not your fault
10. Once a parent, always a parent

Features

• This book contains simple rules that help parents help their kids to look after themselves, enjoy life, be caring and kind, and help them to enjoy the whole experience too.
• You don't have to be a perfect parent, and you don't have to have perfect children; this book will tell you why.
• The simple set of principles and behaviours guide you smoothly through the challenge of being a parent.

Author

Richard Templar is the author of the international bestselling Rules books. Over 2 million people around the world have enjoyed and now play by Richard Templar's Rules.

The complete list of titles is as follows: Rules of Life, Rules of Work, Rules of Management, Rules of Wealth, Rules of Parenting and Rules of Love.