| As I was raising my children, my goal was for | | | | that will matter most.o The education children |
| them to grow up to be positive, contributing | | | | receive is critical. Pay attention to what is going on |
| adults who are happy, well adjusted, healthy, and | | | | at school. We must make sure they have access |
| successful. | | | | to good schools and teachers. The instruction |
| But, having been raised in a less than desirable | | | | children receive in reading and math in the first |
| home, I was unsure about how this can be done. | | | | three years of school is one of the major keys in |
| With the help of many folks as role models and | | | | determining the level of success they will reach. |
| lots of reading, I realized it basically came down to | | | | Learning issues such as autism, ADHD, hearing, |
| five different areas of concern. | | | | speech, etc. require us to provide intervention and |
| How to parent in such a way we prepare them | | | | remediation as early as possible.o Healthy children |
| to meet the challenges they experience | | | | make healthy adults. Today's children are |
| How to work with children who are living in | | | | developing diabetes and obesity at an alarming |
| different Family arrangements | | | | rate. Emphasizing diet, exercise, and healthy habits |
| How to insure children receive a good Education | | | | early will help reduce these issues and increase |
| How to raise Healthy children; and | | | | the likelihood for good health into adulthood.o |
| How to help children who have experienced some | | | | Children can overcome trauma. Many children |
| kind of Trauma | | | | experience some kind of trauma, at home, at |
| In General, my recommendations are to:o Remain | | | | school or other places. These can create |
| a human being. As we parent our children, we | | | | psychological and emotional problems, but having |
| constantly struggle with how we must change | | | | supportive people available helps them cope with |
| how we do it. They are changing as they move | | | | and overcome the effects of this trauma. |
| through infancy to school age to teenagers to | | | | Treating them like they are victims will increase |
| adults and we must be prepared to change as | | | | the likelihood of their becoming one. Helping them |
| well. I learned to enjoy my children and laugh a lot. | | | | develop resilience to overcome these experiences |
| There are times I wish I had been easier on them | | | | is important to helping them develop into |
| and laughed even more. But they are now some | | | | self-sufficient adults. |
| of my best friends.o It's how you treat them, not | | | | The greatest lesson I have learned is that it is |
| the Family structure. Many of our children are | | | | very important for us to be available for our |
| raised in different family structures, if not all their | | | | children through support, friendship, helping them |
| lives, at least part of it. No matter what family | | | | feel needed, and listening to them, as well as |
| arrangement you are in, it's the love and stability | | | | accepting, supporting and intervening for them. |