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Praise for Parents

"Of all the jobs and professions in the world, parenting is the most important, difficult, and potentially rewarding. It is the only job that never ends; we are parents 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 12 months a year, every year. Even when children are adults, we are still their parent. We don't make money by having children; we spend it. Our paychecks can't be measured by material standards; they are hugs, thank-you's, smiles, and seeing our child grow and mature." - - Excerpt from The Parent’s Toolshop

Parenting advice usually focuses on the challenges parents face, mistakes to avoid and effective skills we can use. But every parent and parenting "partner" deserves a pat on the back for doing something positive, even on a small scale, that means a lot to a child. I want to make sure we do that here, now and then.

Is there someone in your child’s life, maybe a coach, grandparent, day care provider or teacher, who has been a positive influence on your child? Is there someone who made a positive impact on you as a child or teen? Have you ever seen a parent handle a difficult problem skillfully? Ever seen children behaving well in a challenging situation? Well, speak up!

I want each of you to do any or all of the following things:

Several times, strangers have come up to me and either compliment me on how I handled a situation, how well-behaved my children were or how well they got along. I can’t tell you what that meant to me, especially as a new mother. Despite my training and knowledge about parenting, I also feel insecure and unsure of myself as a parent at times. Because these comments mean so much to me, I make an extra effort to get over my shyness about talking to strangers to give others a compliment. (Yes, I can breeze through a media interview or speak to 200 people, but am awkward in social situations.) I encourage you to do the same.

If you miss an opportunity or want to share a story that will inspire others, send me a short one-paragraph story about a parent you observed "being good." Now and then, I’ll include them in the column under a special "Praise for Parents" section. Here’s a story my husband shared with me recently:

"At the grocery store, I saw a dad in his work clothes with two young children. As they came in, he carefully spun the cart in circles and they were all laughing. Shopping with young kids can be an ordeal, but he found a way to make a fun adventure of it."

I hope that you, too, will make an extra effort to have fun with your children. The years fly by so fast, so lighten up and don’t take everything seriously. Look at all the blessings your children bring and the good times you’ve had. These are the memories and "emotional paychecks" that will get you through the tough times.

Jody Johnston Pawel is a Licensed Social Worker, Certified Family Life Educator, second-generation parent educator, founder of The Family Network, and President of Parents Toolshop Consulting. She is the author of 100+ parent education resources, including her award-winning book, The Parent's Toolshop. For 25+ years, Jody has trained parents and family professionals through her dynamic workshops and interviews with the media worldwide, including Parents and Working Mother magazines, and the Ident-a-Kid television series. Jody currently serves as the online parenting expert for Cox Ohio Publishing’s mom-to-mom websites and also serves on the Advisory Board of the National Effective Parenting Initiative.

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