Sunday Post: Black & White…or Do We Parent in Shades of Gray?

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Jake at Time after Time has a Sunday Post Challenge and every week he provides a theme…this week’s theme is BLACK AND WHITE

 

I always love to connect the Sunday Post theme to an aspect of parenting.

As parents, we have many choices to make.

Should we be strict or lenient?

Do we move to the city or the suburbs.

Will our children go to public or private schools…or should we homeschool?

But there are some things about parenting that are BLACK AND WHITE:

Parenting requires organizational skills…kids need routines.

Parenting requires communication skills….kids need you to listen to them.

Parenting requires compassion…kids need your love.

Parenting requires consistency…kids need rules that are enforced.

But setting rules does not means that everything is black and white.

Is stealing wrong?  What if your children were starving?

Is killing wrong?  What if someone is trying to kill you or your child?

Perhaps parenting is a journey in “Shades of Gray”.

Parenting requires participation…kids need your time.

Practice Positive Parental Participation and your child will have a head-start to a happy and successful life.

Spending quality time with your young children now will have a positive impact on their school performance.  It also helps them build stronger relationships later in life. 

To be in your children’s memories tomorrow, you need to be in their lives today.  Show Me How is the book that makes it easy and fun! 

Giving back is important to me.  Part of the proceeds of each copy sold is donated to several children’s organizations.

Schools are opening all over the country and we’d like to give a free copy of Show Me How! Build Your Child’s Self-Esteem Through Reading, Crafting and Cooking to your favorite school or classroom.  Nominate your child’s school or other childcare facility in the Show Me How School Initiative by leaving a comment and telling us why you’d like them to have this book.  If you don’t have young children, but know people who do, please tell them about the free book their child’s school can receive!  At the end of September, we will be awarding a dozen books to the winning schools.

Last, but certainly not least, I just came back from a local SCBWI meeting…one of the members, children’s author Marty Banks, has a new book out on the market.  The Adventures of Tempest & Serena is a wonderful chapter book for readers ages 7 and up.  I’ll be reviewing the book here in a couple of days, but I wanted to give everyone a heads-up about the free download that is coming up next weekend.  I’ll post the correct URL when I do the review.  I think this is a book parents and grandparents will want to buy for holiday gifting!

Want more information about Jake’s Sunday Post?

 http://jakesprinters.wordpress.com/ 

And here are some other bloggers who are doing Jake’s Sunday Post…click on a link and travel around the world:

http://bodhisattvaintraining.wordpress.com/2012/08/18/sunday-post-black-white/

http://blueberriejournal.wordpress.com/2012/08/18/bw/

http://cyclingrandma.wordpress.com/2012/07/16/leonard-pitts-jr-s-freeman/

http://drieskewrites.wordpress.com/2012/08/18/black-white/

http://mariadesuede.wordpress.com/2012/08/18/une-competition-en-noir-et-blanc/

http://jullianeford.wordpress.com/2012/08/18/sunday-post-black-white/

http://shaanthz.wordpress.com/2012/08/18/sunday-post-black-white/

http://cobbies69.wordpress.com/2012/08/18/sunday-post-black-and-white/

http://jobryantnz.wordpress.com/2012/08/19/sunday-post-black-white/

http://nprimopiano.wordpress.com/2010/06/06/bw-stairs/

http://p0nky.wordpress.com/2012/08/19/sunday-post-black-white/

http://truthaboveallreligions.wordpress.com/2012/08/18/sunday-post-black-and-white/

http://imagesoftheheart.wordpress.com/2012/08/19/sunday-post-black-and-white/

http://imexcited.wordpress.com/2012/08/19/sunday-post-black-and-white/

http://lucidgypsy.wordpress.com/2012/08/19/sunday-post-black-and-white/

http://francineinretirement.wordpress.com/2012/08/19/sunday-post-black-and-white/

http://connieemeraldeyes.wordpress.com/2012/08/19/sunday-post-black-white/

http://cassiemeetsworld.com/photography/sunday-post-black-white/

http://pollysspace.wordpress.com/2012/08/19/sunday-post-black-and-white/

http://davidrwetzelphotography.wordpress.com/2012/08/19/sunday-post-black-and-white/

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21 thoughts on “Sunday Post: Black & White…or Do We Parent in Shades of Gray?”

  1. Excellent post, Vivian. In a society where the discussion of Shades of Gray refers to the book title that begins with the word FIFTY, it’s reassuring to note the parenting areas where rules must be absolutely firm, and the ones that should be be discussed and interpreted. Good job!

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    • Thanks so much, Marylin…I’m actually reading “Fifty Shades”…my daughter read the trilogy and gave it to me. But I’m so happy you pointed out that parenting includes some issues where there can be no discussion…and other areas where discussion is welcomed. 🙂

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  6. This one: “Parenting requires organizational skills…
    kids need routines.” is still a struggle for me after 2yrs of being a parent. Being someone who doesn’t follow much schedules and routines, it’s a big challenge. But somehow whatever we have is working for us…though I must admit that there’s always room for improvement. love the post! So many take aways for a first-time mom like me 🙂

    Spanish Pinay

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  7. Kids love rules and boundaries, and that’s why they test them so much, to make sure they’re there. But yes, life is not all black or white, there’s lots of gray in between. I think the one thing to always keep in mind is to be fair. Rules can be bent sometimes, for a fair reason. 🙂

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    • I love how you put that, Milka!  It is so important to have the rules in place…but parents can decide if bending them makes sense at any particular moment.  It’s definitely a delicate balance…and a difficult tightrope parents have to walk on. 🙂  You have such a wonderful grasp of what parenting (and life)is all about!   

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