5-phases-of-parenting-phase-3

5 Phases of Parenting – Phase 3

In the first two phases, we discussed that phase one tells us I Don’t Know What I Don’t Know, and phase two tells us I Know At Least That I Need to Know.  Phase Three tells us, I Know What I Need to Know.

Now you’re at the stage when some of those behaviors are beginning to get your attention, and you need to think of ways to correct them so that they don’t become habits.  You are squarely in Phase Three, where you are beginning to identify what it is that you need to know.

Now you might be thinking that you should already know these things, or wouldn’t it be nice if someone would give me a list in advance.  That usually isn’t the case because life is best lived in the moment, using your creativity to solve problems.  As you discover some crucial areas that you need more information, you start making your list and reaching out to friends and other parents for some of their thoughts on techniques to assist your child.

This phase is an education phase and is best when we experience it ourselves.  Remember that the journey is the most valuable part of any goal.  Raising happy, healthy, and successful kids is the goal.  But when graduation day comes and they are off to college or a new job, truthfully, it is a bit of a letdown.  You will miss and think about the journey all of the struggles and difficulties that you went through to get them to that point.

Here’s what I know:  When we enjoy the journey in life, we become more fully present in the moment and thus enable ourselves to give it our full attention.  Those are the things that life is made of, those moments when things didn’t go well, and you made a good choice or gave some solid guidance.

You will find Part 4 very interesting, click here, 5 Phases of Parenting – Phase 4 – Dr. Rich Patterson (pattersonphd.com)

Dr. Christina Hibbert has some insightful comments for further reading here, Parenting Skills: 4 Ways We Learn to Parent, & The Good News | Dr. Christina Hibbert (drchristinahibbert.com)

Yours for better parenting,

Rich