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Encouraging Heroes. You can be one too.

There’s no arguing that it takes genuine, hard work to raise great children. There is no magic formula for how to be the perfect parent, but there are definitely tools and strategies that you can use to point them in the right direction for positive growth. These are five tools every parent can use to raise better children for 2014!

Put Parenting First

Face it; you’re probably aware that having children means your party days and excessive “me” time are clearly over with. In virtually all scenarios, your children should come first. Priorities should naturally take a back seat to your children. Children can pick up on when they are being prioritized behind less important responsibilities. It’s your job to make your children your life!

Get the Most Experience in Education

Parenting is hard enough, but it can be exceptionally difficult to have to feel your way through the ins and outs of raising your children to get the hang of it. If you’ve already studied education in school, your best bet is to opt for a masters degree in education at http://mastersed.uc.edu/. With a masters degree, you can fully equip yourself with the tools for connecting with and engaging children in a way you never thought possible.

Allow Your Children to Make Mistakes

Of course, you should be a parent and step in when to offer wisdom and advice, but loosen the boundaries somewhat. People naturally learn how to avoid mistakes by making and experiencing them. Allowing your children to moderately feel life out for themselves is a great symbol of respect. Therefore, you will also receive respect from your children. This tactic can also be used as a great learning experience. By letting your child experience small portions of life of their own they are better able to understand and connect the natural process of action and consequence.

Be Consistent in Discipline

If you continually make the mistake of retracting your original plan of discipline after only a day or two, it’s not likely that your child will ever learn about the true repercussions of making bad choices. Being consistent is very important in all aspects of parenting. Follow through on your promises, and if you plan to discipline your child for X amount of days or weeks, make sure you stick to that promise until the very last minute.

Be a Great Role Model

Lastly, show your children what it is to be a good person by setting the example. Children notoriously imitate what they see in adults; it’s imperative that you use this to your advantage and show them what it means to exhibit good character. Take the time to show them how to help people and do good deeds. Teach them that by taking the time to help others you are making your mark on the world and standing for something better then yourself.

Raising children in this day and age can be a challenge. Many feel that with all the directions children are being pulled and how many influences there are, parents hardly have a chance to be the large influencing role in their lives. Make sure to make time for your child and make every moment an opportunity for teaching and learning.

Earnest Parenting: help for parents who want to do the job better.