A Pocket Guide on Practical Parenting
How to raise healthy, happy kids without the Hocus Pocus.
We all want what is best for our children. We want our kids to grow up healthy, happy, and with the opportunities we never had. For the modern parent, it’s more than just keeping them alive. We want to see our children thrive, and we’re doing all we can to make that happen. Keeping up with current theories, using the latest tips and tricks, we work like mad to make them smile. Being a stay-at-home dad I can tell you, it feels stellar when it works.
But there are also days when we do our best and every effort still feels like a failure. Don’t worry, the point of parenthood is not to make your kids happy. It is a mistake to think we can hand out happiness like we’re handing out candy. Instant gratification will never produce lasting satisfaction. The greatest lesson we can teach our children is that happiness comes from the heart. I’m no expert, but I believe our job as parents is to equip our kids to enjoy a lifetime of smiles.
If you want your kids to be happy in life, you’ll have to teach them how. This guide offers a thoughtful approach to life’s most important lessons.
Chapter 1: Reasonable Expectations
No parent is perfect, and neither is your child. Understand the importance of expectations and how to share them with the kids.
Chapter 2: Some Things Never Change
Kids will be kids, despite the changing theories. Let’s look at health and happiness from a scientific perspective.
Chapter 3: Baby in the Bath Water
Experience counts for something. It would be crazy to toss out all the teachings of tradition.
Chapter 4: Instincts and Commonsense
Raising children doesn’t require a college degree. You can be the expert on your own kids.
Chapter 5: The Practical Approach
Nobody has it all figured out. Take into consideration all the moving parts, then make the best decision you can.
Chapter 6: Lessons for a Lifetime
Feed them well and they’ll be full for a day. Teach them to forage and they’ll never go hungry.
Chapter 7: Doing Good, Getting Better, Being Your Best
Life is a work in progress. Truth is, we learn as much from our kids as they learn from us.