How To Be a Good Parent

I really like to watch parents of the students in our ministry and take notes on "to do"s and "to avoid"s.

Here are a few items on that list:

1. Let your child miss school every-once-in-a-while for something fun...
let them spend the night on a school night, let them skip class to go to Disneyland or the beach, give them an early dismissal to go and buy the new NSYNC CD at Tower Records...those are the memories they will have forever--not Tuesday, December 4th's History lesson.

2. Teach your child to choose the event that they won't get to do again...
My mom used to say this when I had a difficult choice to make: summer camp or concert? "Which will you never have the chance to do again?" I loved that...it always made the choice easier...and then I wouldn't miss things like a leadership retreat to play in a soccer game.

3. Always pick your child up on time...
Being the last kid sitting around, knowing the leaders are only waiting for you to leave, sucks. Be there on time. Be a few minutes early, bring a book. My mom was the best at this too.

4. Be aware of the church's calendar of events...
Your child will not always remember to bring a form home, but I guarantee there are summer events happening, and you could call and get those dates and sign him or her up...so, as the parent, be responsible...make it happen.

5. When your child has questions, answer them honestly...
It can be detrimental to your child's development for you to "dumb down" answers or tell them they're too young to know about those things...If your kid is old enough to ask the question, then he/she is old enough for the honest answer...and is probably getting the wrongs facts from friends at school.