Holiday time advice for parents

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 14, Issue 682, 15 April 1997, Page 7

Holiday time advice for parents

By Pat McOnie, Safer Community Co-ordinator We are the first generation who cannot act as parents with the same skills as our own parents for a number of reasons: television, video, computers, the Privacy Act and lack of extended family support. Fun dpes not easily mesh with discipline. The first school term has drawn to a close and holidays begin. I hope that fun will be a powerful tool used creatively in your family to brighten the background. You will end up punishing less, the discipline is more effective and you enjoy your family more. Generally, where there is warm, consistent love and communication, children will overlook many parental blunders. The damage is done when a child' s sense of right and wrong is violated or he or she finds themselves

powerless and at the mercy of parental mood swings and short fuses. Discipline is imparted in a climate where rules are clear and consistent, praise behaviour you do like, concentrate on positives, learn to laugh with the children so that problems stay in perspecti ve, endeavour to work as a team, mete out punishment firmly and respectfully and leave their dignity intact, decide that your sanity comes before a spotless home and insist on chi-ld-free time in your week. Listen, support and offer options, do not judge. We are constantly giving messages to our children, but the overriding message must be the one telling them that they're OK.