The first step to becoming a more effective parent is to take a deep breath and allow yourself to relax. Be assured that wherever you are in your parenting journey you can always shift your thinking, learn new skills, and come to appreciate yourself and your children. Old habits can be replaced by conscious choices.

Growing children provide you with an opportunity to know yourself on a deeper level, discovering how to relax and go with the flow, as you become a joyful, nurturing,, liberating parent. The natural challenges that come with raising children are the catalysts that move you along your path.

You CAN move out of stressful, frustrating patterns into a new paradigm of effective strategies! The path to success begins with understanding how you got where you are in the first place!

The parenting styles we choose, whether consciously or unconsciously, are usually the result of the way we were raised. Past generations were more concerned with children’s correct behavior than they were with their emotional well being. New parents tend to either repeat or react to the way they were parented, without really understanding child development or the power struggles that can be created by well meaning moms and dads.

Parents don’t wake up in the morning, deciding to make their child’s life miserable.

Children don’t go to sleep at night, planning and plotting to create havoc for their already stressed out parents.

Let’s look at some typical parenting styles to see how these frustrating patterns of behavior evolve:

• Authoritarian Parenting Style

• Permissive Parenting Style

• Democratic or Authoritative Parenting Style

Leading Edge parents set clear boundaries, provide appropriate guidance, and respond consistently in a loving, positive manner which encourages cooperative behavior and nurtures self-esteem. Leading Edge parents understand how children develop and this helps the adults to have realistic expectations based on each child’s age, temperament and developmental stage. Parents are able to give children messages that they are adored and capable, exactly as they are, because the parents are free of worry, guilt and pleasing others. Parents become experts in creating peaceful environments because they know the power of their own thoughts, beliefs and emotions and have learned how to deliberately channel their energy in ways that encourage positive behavior in their children. Parents and children let go of needing to ‘win’ and internal inspiration rather than fear of discipline becomes the motivation for authentic love and respect. Knowledge, skill and proven strategies relax and soothe the tangle of emotions that come with parenthood. Leading Edge parents are confident and joyful as they watch their children blossom, growing into their full potential.

We invite you to make a conscious choice in your parenting style and look forward to celebrating Parenthood and Childhood with you as you join us on the Leading Edge.