On Parenting
I've been raising a little human for half a decade now, and let me tell you, it ain't no walk in the park. But I ain't no quitter, and I've picked up a thing or two along the way that might help you out too. Now, fair warning: if you're the type to get all riled up over differing opinions or if you're itching to take away my parenting privileges, well, I got news for ya: I probably ain't doing it right anyways. But hey, let's give it a shot, shall we?
Findings
Pick your battles.
They learn from what they see, not what they hear.
They ignore the "no" in every phrase you say.
They are always looking for your attention. If you are not there, someone (or something) will be.
Take care of yourself first. Doing it isn't selfish: your self-care helps the kids.
If you are stressed out, they will be too.
Spend time with them. Lots of time. We become what we surround ourselves with.
Hear what they have to say.
Praise them as much as you can. Life will take care of hammering the wall — you don't need to do it.
If you expect nothing, you get a lot.
Sleep with them as much as you can. They can feel your presence.
Do your best to explain things in as much detail as possible.
They will have meltdowns. We all do.
If you hit them, they will learn that love is entwined with pain This will haunt them and is very hard to break. Same for psychological abuse.
They don't think logically. They will not be able to do it for a long time. Accept it.
There will be questions. Thousands. Make use of them to revisit your values and personal dogmas. It's like free therapy.
Be honest with them as much as you can. Assume they know when you are lying.
They are going to do things in the wrong way a million times. Same for you. Be gentle with both of you.
