Parenting just like other professions need a lot of preparation and work. We are going to use the NEPEM model in this blog. The model focuses on the following
1. Self care
2. understand
3. Guide
4. Nature
5. Motivate
6. Develop
7. Advocate
SELF CARE
Parents must learn self care first. Before you can effectively take care of another, you need to care for yourself. We will call this "self-reliance". A parent should be able to be the example of what they want to model in a child. This gives children the assurance that it is possible to become.
Elder Marion G. Romney said, "Without self-reliance one cannot exercise these innate desires to serve. How can we give if there is nothing there? Food for the hungry cannot come from empty shelves. Money to assist the needy cannot come from an empty purse. Support and understanding cannot come from the emotionally starved. Teaching cannot come from the unlearned. And most important of all, spiritual guidance cannot come from the spiritually weak."
The following questions will guide each parent know where they are in their parenting endevours:
- Am I Correcting My Children Without Teaching Them?
- What is the Quality of My Relationship with My Children?
- What is the Quality of My Relationship with My Spouse?
- How Pure is My "Way of Being?"
The most important to me were, self care, understand and motivate. I feel all the seven are important together but I will have to start with the three named above.
UNDERSTAND
Understand category of the NEPEM model. To understand, you must become familiar with the general childhood developmental stages.
- Keep pace with your child's development
- Adjust your parenting to your child's temperament
- Your child is unique
- Have patience during developmental transitions
- Your changing role as a parent
MOTIVATE
The following are seven self defeating patterns that parents should avoid to achieve motivation:
- Threats
- Bribes
- Promises
- Sarcasm
- Verbal overkill
- Sermon on lying and stealing
- Rude teaching of politeness
