Bad Parenting 101

I really wish I was a better parent (I realize I should have said, "I really wish I 'were' a better parent" but it hurts my heart because it hurts my ears. I'm a disgrace to my English degree...).

I forget all the time that my littles aren't tiny adults, and that they are just kids.

So, it gets understandably frustrating when, with these deluded expectations, my children explore their roles as "Bedlumites," as Elder Holland put it.

I was talking to a good friend a few weeks ago, and she said a friend had mentioned there was a parenting book that addressed all types of issues, and worked wonders for many families she knew. She couldn't recall the entire title of the book, but gave me what she knew. I was intrigued, so I googled it.

It pulled up "1-2-3 Magic."

So, I looked up the reviews today, went to the store, bought it, and I just finished reading it (for 200+ pages, it was a really quick read). To anybody frustrated with parenting, I recommend you read this book.

It boiled down to this: It is YOUR attitude, YOUR self-control, and YOUR implementation of good behavior that changes your children. I knew that already. But, I had forgotten. It's too easy to expect perfect behavior from little people who should, well, just KNOW how to behave (you hearin' me on this?).

So many things the author wrote about I knew, and had forgotten, and a lot of what he said caused me to have a whole bunch of "DUH!" moments (at myself, not him).

It's sort of humiliating when you realize your children act bad because you do. But, hey, that's life, right?

Kids learn by example...and in theory...given the example that a merciful Heavenly Father shows us, eventually we learn how to be better.

Hopefully...