How to be a Good Parent

I’ve never been particularly confident in my parenting skills.  Ok, I’ve doubted myself from the very beginning.  Anyway, I’ve been taking a kind of parenting course thing since the beginning of January.  I’ve picked up some very useful tips, and discovered how much I have already been doing incredibly right.  I have of course been doing some things wrong, but this course has certainly helped build up my confidence a bit, and I’ve only had a few classes.  I hope to learn lots more.  The Child certainly seems to be behaving a bit better than normal sometimes, as I can manage her a lot more confidently.  She’s always responded well to stickers, and the discovery of reward charts last year was a god send.  Of course, not all children will respond to such things.

She still has a destructive nature though, and has recently found a way to reach absolutely everything on the kitchen worktop.  I’m not exactly thrilled.  There are definitely times that I wish she wasn’t growing up so fast.  Where’s my little girl gone?  Hmm.  She’s turned into an overconfident and stubborn individual.  Though she still tends towards shyness in new situations.  Shame she’s far from shy in others.  She’s still chasing postmen down our street, and waving at bus drivers.  Bless her.  Thank god she’s nothing like me in temperament.  Now that would be a challenge.  Then again, we might not argue so much.  It’s such a bizarre thing having a proper row with a four year old I can tell you.

One highly entertaining moment came though when we were watching Star Wars last week.  She decided to try out a new word.  “Darth Vader's a poo poo,” she declared.  Bad mother that I am, I burst out laughing.  Questioning of The Child revealed that she had learnt this insult from a boy at nursery.  I have to admire the culprit’s restraint.  In this day and age ‘poo poo’ is amazingly tame.  She hasn’t used it during a row yet though.  This may be a good thing, as I might just lose my ability to stay cross if she did.  Must be firm.  Calm but firm.  Must remember what I’ve learned.  Positive discipline. 

But I think I can live with being referred to as a ‘poo poo’ or a ‘conker’ (she gets plonker and conker mixed up) for the time being.  Only too soon she’ll be learning more colourful language.  And in nine years she shall be a teenager.  What a pleasant thought.  How I look forward to those slamming doors and teenage strops.  Joy.  I guess I’m really not wanting her to grow up in a hurry.  She shall damn well start drinking out of a cup now though.  I don’t want her drinking out of beakers when she’s at school, like a certain someone I know.  I do pity her poor cousins.  They’ve been sharing a bed since he totally outgrew his cot a few months ago, despite the fact that they have a bunk bed.  The top bunk’s used for toy storage though.  Finding somewhere else to put the toys so the kids can sleep in more comfort?  Too much like hard work for some people.  Poor things.