Life affords no greater responsibility, no greater privilege,
than the raising of the next generation
– C. Everett Koop

Whether or not you’re a parent, or whether you’re going for round two as a grandparent, you’ve got ideas about how it should be done because you were parented! What would be your all-time best tip for a parent just starting out?

My dad told me the other day that when he was visiting my sister he saw something very interesting. My sister had written on the mirror in her oldest daughter’s bedroom, “Cassandra, you are beautiful. I love you”. She had written similar words on her younger daughter’s mirror. Every single day, as they brush their hair and check their appearance in the mirror, these girls are reminded of those two wonderful facts. Imagine! My sister is my hero; she gets my award for delivering the best parenting tip ever.

My tip? Empower children, beginning when they are very young, by showing them how to manifest what they want in life beginning with the small things.

When my kids asked for something we couldn’t afford to buy for them, rather than saying those three ugly words, “we can’t afford…” we’d say, “Yes, you can have it. Let’s see how you’re going to get it.”  Sometimes this resulted in their decision to do small jobs and save money, sometimes it would cause them to be more frugal with their Birthday money, or to go to the strawberry U-Pick and sell what they picked by the side of the busy road where we lived. Sometimes it meant watching for the item to go on sale.

My children learned at a young age that there are many ways to get what you want in life. It didn’t always have to come from Mom and Dad. If they wanted something badly enough, they would find a way to get it for themselves.

This practice not only taught them how to handle money, it fostered responsibility, creativity, independence, patience and discipline.

What’s the best parenting idea you’ve experienced, done, seen or heard about?

photo credit: Julie LeBlanc