Did you ever find yourself looking at your children or students and wondering what kind of adults they will become? Will they find the types of happiness and fulfillment that we wish for them? Answers to these questions will often lead to a more fundamental concern; what can we do as parents and teachers to help them reach a successful future? The first step in figuring out the mechanisms of parenting and teaching is an honest and ongoing process of self-evaluation. Defining what we believe in and knowing what is important to us is a good beginning point. Try to ask yourself and answer some basic questions. What are your thoughts about issues concerning:
- Independence and safety
- Self-management and dependency
- Performance and effort
- Observance and belief
- Obligation and commitment
- Discipline and self-control
Answers to questions like these will lead you toward the child rearing/teaching practices that you will consistently use and believe in. The alignment between our thoughts and practices is what creates the type of parenting and teaching that children trust and respond to.
