Parent advice designed to improve yours and your child’s Emotional Intelligence. But first a cartoon that focuses on hocus-pocus parenting advice
The point? We all want to know what is coming, so we are well prepared. Quite reasonably, all parents want their children to be prepared for the future. Nevertheless, the time you and your children have now is the time that matters most, for it is all we are promised.
Parenting tips
Parenting tip one: The future remains one of life’s unknowns and trying to predict what will happen even tomorrow does not always work. That we cannot predict (or control) the future does not mean we shouldn’t make plans and prepare ourselves both for the good and bad that might await.
So why this post? Because too many work too preparing the very young for school success. Understandable as Western Culture believes the most direct path to the good life is a good education. Guess what? Not true. The best path to the good life, once basic human needs for shelter, warmth, food, and safety have been met, remains practicing kindness, one of the daily Twelve Easy Emotional Fitness Exercises.
Parenting tip two: Good manners are the best way to practice kindness.
Parenting tip three: Teaching good manners is easier than turning everyone into a Harvard Scholar; moreover, it can start as soon as your children start talking.
Parenting tip four: Stepping back a bit from pushing early learning might allow a bit more time for free play and free play builds creativity.
Free play means unstructured play, kids doing what they want with as little supervision or guidance as possible. Safety first, but freedom-to-just-be next.
Parenting tip five: Stepping back can also save you two things: time and money.
STAY STRONG
Remember what matters, laugh and play, find time for you, and practice kindness every way you can, where ever you can, as often as you can. Doing so makes your world a better place.
Katherine
P.S. The Word Press Daily Prompt for today said to tell a story in which every line began with the same letter. So here is my effort:
I ran into a bully.
I was scared.
I smiled at him.
I told him how glad I was to see him.
I gave him a cookie.
I have a new friend.
Hokey, yes, but there it is and related to the subject of this blog post.
Articles of interest
- Random Act of Kindness (wikipedia.org)
- The Acts of Random Kindness Foundation (randomactsofkindness.org)
- Kindness and Self Defense (emotionalfitnesstraining.com)
Parents Are People Too 
So true Katherine . As an employment cousellor, I have learned that most employers will hire a pleasant, polite, honest person over one with education. Richard Branson talks about this as one of the reasons for his success. He often overlooks education for the right personality when hiring staff. Parents would be wise to instill decency, politeness and honesty in their children from day one. BTW I like your poem.