1. They are smarter than you think, they process more than you imagine and they imitate everything you do. Be mindful of that with every action.
2. Hug them, kiss them good night and tell them you love them every day.
3. Don’t expect school to be their only form of learning, show them how to fix the car, how to fish, how to survive in the wild, how to get back home.
4. Teach them the importance of respecting Veterans and to never forget the sacrifice they made.
5. Don’t wrap them in cotton wool, they will hurt themselves they will get in a fight, they will fall of their bike. But it’s all apart of that learning experience.
6. Let them try to solve the problem first. Don’t constantly give them the easy way out or solution straight away.
7. Please when they want something, thank you when they receive. Basic manners can go a long way.
8. Let them spend as much time as possible with their grandparents. Because you know what you would do for one more day with yours.
9. Sort out your schedule so they are your priorities. Work around spending time with them.
10. Be all in with their interests. If it’s monster trucks, Barbie, PlayStation or Pokémon cards. Get involved. Show your excitement and live in their world.
11. Have at least one day a month totally dedicated to them. Beach day, boat trip, hiking, theme park and leave your phone at home.
12. Let them be present in the age they are at. Don’t expect your 3 year old to be as disciplined as your 6 year old. Have patience.
13. Discipline only works if you follow through. But they only learn the lesson if you sit down and explain. Be calm in your approach.
14. Show them your emotions. You don’t need to hide them. Celebrate your wins, explain your losses, sadness or fears
15. Just be a better parent than the one you were yesterday. Work together, don’t compete against each other and never put the kids between your issues. They come first always.
16. Leave the experience, event or activity in a better state than what you arrived. Happier, more knowledgeable and content you got everything out of that situation with your kids.
17. Kindness and generosity go a long way. You can teach them every polite way of doing things but if you are not doing it yourself first they won't follow through.
18. When tensions arise break up the situation by being playful. Take them away from that situation to change the activity and the mood.
19. Show them the importance of not giving up. This starts with your actions and ends with your positive reinforcements to Make it a reality.
20. Teach them that no one will do the work for them. It is up to them to create their reality. You might be able to provide a great framework but it will be up to them to turn that into something successful.
