Mistakes are okay

One thing I want to make known right away is that mistakes are fine.  We came here to learn and make mistakes.  The key is to fix them and move on.  No worries!  Kids are very resilient, they will let you know when you've made mistakes by their words or their behavior, and it's our job as parents, to figure out what is going on, and to fix the relationship or the problem.  The books in the previous post are REALLY helpful at figuring out why kids aren't acting the way you think they should.

Children will bounce back almost the minute you fix things....if not the minute, then very soon.  They are sponges for our love, and need it constantly.  When they are getting enough, you will notice a huge improvement in their behavior.  We will explore some trouble areas and some preventative measures on this blog, but just know....if you haven't been doing this all along...IT'S OKAY!  I didn't start to "get it" until I was about 40 years old, so you are probably faster on the ball than me.  And my kids are doing great.  So don't worry.  Just enjoy the process of becoming the best parent you can be.  It takes time, and luckily, kids are good with that!

(picture from http://www.foothillsnetwork.ca/)