5-phases-of-parenting-phase-1

Parenting Phase One

In the last posting, I introduced the Five Phases of Parenting, where I briefly spoke about the phases we go through as a parent. In this article, I will discuss Phase One.

Phase One says that we don’t even know enough to know what questions to ask.  It is the first stage when we start something new, like having a baby, and you wonder and hope that you will have the wisdom to know what to do and when.  I would like to offer here that we recognize that this is the starting point for nearly everything.

I took a position as a college administrator after spending 35+ years as a teacher and school administrator.  My first thought was, how hard can this be? I am an educator and now a college administrator for an education program.  But whoa . . . the shock set in immediately when I was promptly overwhelmed.  I had a mentor who was helping me to learn a few systems.  He would show me how to use a software package or the process for doing something and then ask me if I had any questions.

I immediately thought, I don’t even know what to ask, I don’t know what I don’t know.  It is an overwhelming feeling, and you quickly realize that you are only going to get on top of this business of raising a child by doing it and making some mistakes, just like your parents did.

Simply recognizing that we have a lot to learn is the first step to being a good parent.  The good news is that you can do it.  Everyone can be a good parent, but it takes time, tenacity, and patience.

Here’s what I know:  This Phase One requires perseverance, and you must follow the process of learning, trying, and finding out what does and doesn’t work.

In the next posting, I will discuss Phase Two, which says, I know that I need to know.  The link is here, 5 PHASES OF PARENTING – PHASE 2 – Dr. Rich Patterson (pattersonphd.com)

Are you interested in the phases of a family life cycle?  Here is a link from Peace Health from medical professionals, Family Life Cycle | PeaceHealth

Yours for better parenting,

Rich