1. Successful parents don’t expect perfection either from themselves or their children.
Parenting is an art, not a science. Successful parents understand that, like themselves, their children aren’t perfect either. This frees them to love their children unreservedly.
2. Successful parents don’t fear occasional failures.
They understand that mistakes are a normal, even healthy, part of parenting. They make the best decisions they can and when they’re wrong, they learn from their mistakes, and they try to do better the next time.
3. Successful parents don’t expect to have smooth sailing.
Children have their own opinions, personalities, and preferences. Inevitably, they cause us to say “Where did THAT come from?” or “What WERE you thinking?” Our responsibility to provide them with limits and guidance will sometimes clash with their growing desire for independence. Successful parents aren’t surprised by them; they expect them. But successful parents understand that their responsibility to their children is not to always please them or make them happy – it’s to make the hard decisions that will be for their best in the long run.
4. Successful parents don’t go it alone.
Successful parenting means trusting yourself, but not being a Lone Ranger. No one has the experience or answers to every parenting challenge. But each of us has some of the answers and, together, we’ve got them all. So successful parents aren’t reluctant to seek out the wisdom of others. They know that, at the end of the day, the decision is theirs, but before they get there, there is plenty of wisdom along the way waiting to help them.
5. Successful parents try harder.
They face the same pressures we all do – demanding jobs, spouses, and children who need them. But they live by this rule: “You get back what you put in.” They have a clear sense of priority for their family and are willing to put in the time to achieve it. They give more than the “average parent” so their children will be more than just “average children.” These parents work at nurturing and developing themselves…
Read more: All-Pro Dad
