Our Valley Santa Clarita November/December 2016 | Page 24

PARENTING

Parenting Tips to Keep in Mind
(Part 2)

6. Let Kids Read What They Want
Kids who read for pleasure excel
academically—not only in language
arts but in math as it expands their
spatial thinking process. So while you
wish your kid would pic k up a specific
genre or author, don’t make him feel
bad about what is his first choice.
Whether it’s a silly cartoon series or an
adventure comic book, if it gets kids
hooked on the habit of reading, that
is our goal!
7. Don’t Pay Your Kids to Clean Their
Rooms.
If you give them cold cash to tidy up
their room, then when you ask them
to help you with a chore around the
house, they’ll say, “How much?” They
will most definitely question you,

24

By Patty Canton

(Part 1 appeared in our last issue)

“Why would I do that for free when
you pay me to clean up my room?”You
can give your child an allowance as an
introduction to money, but don’t fall
into paying for the things they should
be doing anyway. No good will come
from this.
8. Set the Example for Confidence.
Do you want to see your kids as
confident ones, with good self
esteem? Children learn from visual
examples. When they see you take
on challenges with a brave attitude
without the worries of “what will
people think”. They will be more
likely to follow your lead without
embarrassment and feeling capable
when challenges knock on their door.
9. Remember You Are Not a
Personal Cook.

It’s important to remember that it
is our job as responsible parents to
teach our children to be grateful
for what food is served. It can be
challenging when children give us a
hard time when it comes to a specific
meal. Keep in mind that what a child
eats over the course of a day is more
important than a balanced meal at
one sitting. So a solution for younger
children is to offer a small variety of
foods at mealtime: raw vegetables
or in a salad, plain milk or milk
with “strawberry mix”.
Encourage
children to try to eat new foods; this
can sometimes follow with a small
reward such as an extra 10 minutes of
playtime.
Join us on our next issue for more
helpful parenting tips.