July is National Purposeful Parenting Month, which strives to build strong, positive, functional families with children of any age, recognizing the importance of meaningful relationships between parents and children. Being a purposeful parent takes a lot of hard work and commitment in order to nurture love and respect in the family, as well as the need to shift the family’s focus and energy from reaction to action.

“Parents need to fill a child’s bucket of self-esteem so high that the rest of the world can’t poke enough holes to drain it dry” – Alvin Price

Being part of a family is probably the most important role a person can have during their lifetime and most of us, if not all of us, do it with little or no training. There is no such thing as The Perfect Parenting Manual, unfortunately. With changing rules and roles, including the increased prevalence of single-parent homes, it’s not always clear whether one’s own family is functioning in a healthy and happy way or not. Being a parent isn’t an easy job but, with lots of effort and hard work, it can be very rewarding.

Children can and need to be taught to make good choices in their lives, to feel good about themselves from an early age, as well as consistent guidance in directing them from dependence to independence. Purposeful parenting requires parents to become more deeply involved in their children’s lives, giving their children strong roots and wings to fly, and setting positive boundaries in which to channel their behavior and decisions.

The blueprint for Purposeful Parenting incorporates a number of building blocks included in Parenting Without Pressure, that restore and nurture love and respect in the family, with parenting strategies that can easily be implemented and continued throughout the so-called “turbulent teen years” and beyond.

8 Steps to Purposeful Parenting:

• Structure & Order

• Responsibility & Accountability

• Firmness & Fairness

• Limits & Boundaries

• Consistency

• Problem-Solving Skills

• Understanding

• Unconditional Love

These eight components of purposeful parenting must be coupled with positive role-modeling, as this will help to create a safe and secure home environment where children can grow, develop, thrive and flourish well into adulthood.

To celebrate Purposeful Parenting Month, parents can do a variety of simple and easy things to create a more positive and loving home life. Remember, the best times are when you make time, making every opportunity possible to spend time with your children, savoring each moment as a treasure! Before you know it, they’ll be all grown up and moving on with their own lives.

Don’t make the all-too-common parenting mistake of thinking that earning a living and providing a home for your children is more important than spending time with your children. You can’t bring back those lost years, so don’t skimp.

1. Tell your children you love them, and do it often.
2. Find at least one thing your child has done right each day.
3. Celebrate the uniqueness of all family members.
4. Create a safe environment for the entire family.
5. Grab every opportunity to spend unstructured time.
6. Plan fun family activities. Turn off the T.V.! Get organized!
7. Teach values. Learn the value of delegating responsibilities.
8. Establish family traditions.

“Your children will become what you are; so be what you want them to be” – David Bly

With the right approach and positive attitude, parenting can be fun for everyone involved. The definition of Discipline is “to teach”, which is a positive approach to teaching children appropriate behavior, as opposed to the definition of Punishment being to “chastise or correct” misbehavior after the wrongful deed has already been done. Remember, the better you are with discipline, the less you will have to punish.

Fun Family Things To Do With Kids and Family:

Summer Picnics	Go to the Beach	Backyard BBQ	Go to Sports Events
Go Bowling	Cook/Bake Kid Style	Go Fishing	Throw a Party
Roller blade	Bike Riding	Do Puzzles	Miniature Golf
Go to the Zoo	Go to a Museum	Go to a Concert	Play Board Games
Go Camping	Plan a Vacation	Make Ice Cream!	Build a Family Tree
Play Baseball	Go Ice-Skating	Horseback riding	Do Kid Crafts!
Make Kid Puppets	Plan a Block Party	Go to the Park	Hiking
Boating	Children’s Theater	County Fair	Local Festival
Nature Centers	Amusement Parks	Visit the Library	Play Frisbee
Gardening	Fun Obstacle Course	Berry Picking	Have Karaoke Night!

Emphasizing communication, unconditional love, and a structured environment, the Parenting Without Pressure approach will involve your whole family in the parenting process. You’ll learn how to establish fair rules with workable consequences and motivating incentives. You will be freed from the pressure of making “on the spot” disciplinary decisions. You’ll find out how to give up the struggle but keep your authority. And you’ll learn how discussions about rules and consequences prepare your children for the real world ahead.

Related Posts:

Summer Activities For Kids: Fun Summer Things For Kids To Do
Building Self-Confidence in Children With Self-Esteem Activities
A Child’s Ten Commandments For Parents
Identifying Early Warning Signs of Enabling Behaviors
Zero Tolerance for Disrespectful, Cussing Kids
Picky Eaters – Getting Kids to Eat Healthy

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