Lesson 21: You Can't Pick Your Parents

As a parent, you are the first to love your child, influence your child, and guide your child toward a successful role in society. It is not a role to be taken lightly. As they say, pregnancy is 100% preventable...although reality TV would tell you otherwise.

The point of this lesson is that you must be mindful of what it takes to be a successful parent. If you do not feel you have what it takes to be a good parent, talk to someone whom you think exemplifies the role. Read books and magazines..there are certainly plenty on this topic, and seek therapy if you need to do things differently than your parents did. The reality is that you will repeat the bad behaviors if you don't learn how to recognize and prevent them.

If after all of that, you still do not feel comfortable with parenthood, then perhaps it is not your destiny. It isn't a box to be checked to be like everyone else. It is the most important job you will ever have in your life. The hours will be long and occasionally peppered with stress and disappointment, but hopefully there will be many more joyful and proud moments to remember.
How you treat your children lasts a lifetime. It builds or destroys their self-image, self-esteem, and ability to relate to others. So while you can't pick your parents, you can choose to make yourself the best parent you can be.

Lesson 5: Remain Neutral at all Costs

There is nothing worse than putting your two cents into other people's arguments. The best scenario is that your two cents is never "heard" and the people involved come to a consensus. The worst scenario is that your two cents is absorbed, misinterpreted, and now you not only become immersed in the argument, but you become the target of a new argument and the other people are now in cohoots against you!

This is particularly true when your children have issues with other children. Do not get involved. Kids tend to work it out between themselves very quickly. Meanwhile, you and the other parents are now locking horns with each other. In time, it's like the Hatfields and McCoys - no one knows how or why it started, but everyone keeps it going.

Your thoughts?