Be Their Friend.
You can not spend too much time trying to be only their friend. When you do that you will start to lose them as your child. When you can balance being their friend and being their parent you will have the best relationship with them and the best chance of a normal life.
Say You're Sorry.
My secret for raising kids is never be too proud to tell your kids you're sorry. Admitting to your child that you "messed up" teaches them to take responsibility for their own actions and also lets them know that you respect them.
Read Every Night.
Set aside a special one on one time to read to your child. I read every night to my son before he goes to bed. We get quality time together and it has taught him to actually sit and be still and listen. He realized he really like adventure stories and he said he likes the way I read to him.
Limit TV.
I would advise that children have a limited time to watch TV. Sometimes the wrong forms of influence can take effect to kids, in which case can be prevented to some degree by reducing the exposure.
Appreciate Each Child.
My best secret is to appreciate each child for who he or she is. Every child is different, so sometimes you have to take different approaches with each of your kids. Pay attention to the kind of personality each individual child has, and accept that what works with the older sister won't always work with the younger brother!
Let Them Experience Hard Times.
To raise great kids you've got to have them experience hard times. If you have a comfortable living and your kids have only known comfort, take a few months and live frugal and simple, perhaps even pretending things are rough. (Perhaps you don't have to pretend). Have your kids go without for a while, and realize how life could be if circumstances were different. This will instill something so very important gratitude. That's a secret to great kids.
Travel.
The best way to raise great kids is to travel. Traveling to places that aren't wealthy and resort based, so that they have a better understanding of how well off they truly are.
Decisions With Boundaries.
I give my children boundaries, but I allow them to make decisions within those boundaries. For example, I will tell them they have 45 minutes to play before we have to clean up. Then I give them several choices (that I'm ok with) for what they can play. Or for lunch I tell them they have to eat all their food if they want a pudding cup, but I give them two choices for what they can eat. I do the same thing with clothes, activities, and bedtime routines. This way, I'm not struggling with my kids all the time, and they feel like they are getting to make their own decisions. Everybody wins!
Scared Straight.
I took my children to an outdoor drama produced by a local church when they were about 12 years old each. The name of the drama was "Hell Escape". You walked through the drama into each scene and it was very realistic. They initially walked into a group of teens drinking and smoking pot (they were acting), then you walked at little further into the scene of a bloody car accident. You then walked into a scene of a teenager committing suicide, they flipped off the lights and you then heard/seen the gunshot. In the next scene they were in an ER room with people screaming and parents begging them "what happened to their child". The next scene was carrying the casket into the church, and Jesus appeared and said some things. The next scene they walked into Hell. It was very scary and realistic. Both my children were very affected by this drama (in a good way) it gave them much food for thought.
Let Them Know They're Respected.
Kids need to know they are being heard and respected. Slow down, let them know they are important and take in what they are saying. One of the best books I ever read is titled P.E.T. Parent Effectiveness Training. You can still get used copies for pennies, and the advice is invaluable, especially concerning letting kids know you are listening.
Be The Parent.
The best way to have a great kid is to be a parent to them. So many children today the parents don't want to raise or discipline their child. All a child really needs is a lot of love and a strong hand to guide them through their childhood.
Points.
When my children were younger, I gave them "points" for good behavior. The points accumulated over the course of a week, and at the end of the week they could trade in the points for a desired reward, such as a special treat, toy, or activity.
Play Mind Games.
Once they are old enough, mind games. My children thought I was the smartest person on the earth and was pretty much all-knowing until they were teenagers. One of them had broken my stereo, and they were so worried because they were sure I already knew who did it. The mental torture, finally caught up with them and the guilty one confessed. The waiting and wondering was almost punishment enough.
Don't Spoil Your Kids.
The best thing you can do for your kids is to not give them everything they ask for. Limit birthday and holiday gifts and make them earn special rewards. Don't just buy them the things they want, children need to be taught gratefulness and buying them everything just makes them spoiled!
Share Your Fears.
Show them your fears. My kids respond better to my wife and myself when they know we have fears just like they do. And we worry too. It seems to open them up more.
Bedtime Routines.
I have always put my babies to bed at the exact same time every single night and woke them up 12 hours later. I never had a problem when it was bedtime for school or when it was time for them to get up in the a.m., even on vacation days. They were automatically conditioned to do so!
Let Them Be Themselves.
Allow them to be who they are. Foster what they like to do.
Build Trust.
Kids like to be able to trust their parents. Don't spy on them. Let them have their own passwords for Facebook, e-mail, etc. Don't read their text messages.
Be A Parent And Show Love.
I would say the best advice for raising well children is to love them and let them know they are loved. Respect them and they will respect you and others. Don't be their friend, be their parent who they can talk to. Encourage them to talk to you and let them know they can always talk to you about anything.
Earning Video Game Time.
My sons like to play video games. They earn points by behaving doing tasks around the house and good grades in school each point is 1 minute play time, since i started doing this my house is quiet and the oldest child helps the younger one. Before they would fight all the time.
Maintain Authority.
The most important thing when raising kids is to maintain authority. Do not let your kids undermine you. Establish firm rules that all parties understand.
Repeat Yourself. Repeat Yourself.
Repeat everything you say to the child over and over, so that they remember and have no excuse when they don't do it. Do not be afraid to spare the rod when they disobey you, because only tough love teaches lessons.
Pay Attention When Your Child Talks.
I think it's very important for a child to feel like what they say has been heard and not ignored. When my son talks to me, I have always, since he was a young child, paid full attention to what he is saying and let him know what he says is important. I believe this promotes self-respect and self-esteem.
Teach Independence.
Don't give them the answers or options. Wait for them to ask for whatever they want so they learn to be independent.
Paul D. Angles gathers readers' best ways of handling life's major challenges in 24 different categories at 1001BestWays.com, tweets them @1001bestways, and is publishing a series of 1001 Best Ways books on Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble, and other online booksellers.
Amazon.com readers have given seven 5-star ratings to Volume 1 and three 5-star reviews to Volume 2 because each volume builds on the previous one, with new submissions trying to outdo the previous entries.
To read more Best Ways, please visit 1001BestWays.com.
Source: http://ezinearticles.com/6407435
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