Peer to Peer Parents Support Group for Elementary, Middle, and High School

[Panda]

I wanted to create a peer to peer support group of parents with children in elementary school. I have twin boys who are 8 and they are extremely active. What are some of challenges you face as parents?

Here are some of the books I am reading right now on parenting.

Parenting with Love and Logic - Foster Cline and Jim Fay
Shepherding a Child's Heart - Tedd Tripp
Raising an Emotionally Intelligent Child - John Gottman?
Bringing Up Boys - Dr. James Dobson

The key to successful parenting is not found in complex theories, elaborate family rules, or convoluted formulas for behavior. It is based on your deepest feelings of love and affection for your child, and is demonstrated simply through empathy and understanding. Good parenting starts begins in your heart, and then continues on a moment - to -moment basis by engaging your children when feelings run high, when they are sad, angry, or scared. The heart of being there in a particular way when it really counts.

[Compressed-Village]

I wanted to create a peer to peer support group of parents with children in elementary school. I have twin boys who are 8 and they are extremely active. What are some of challenges you face as parents?

Here are some of the books I am reading right now on parenting.

Parenting with Love and Logic - Foster Cline and Jim Fay
Shepherding a Child's Heart - Tedd Tripp
Raising an Emotionally Intelligent Child - John Gottman?
Bringing Up Boys - Dr. James Dobson

Keep them involve with after school activities and extra school works. Weekend sports and out door activities. Pool and swim. Challenge is not enough time and energy.

[bones]

Just read The Gift Of Failure. Pretty applicable to parents around these parts. So much coddling and helicoptering that kids don’t know how to fail. Lots of focus on grades /sports successes. Not enough focus on the journey.

[Panda]

Look at this chart. Your influence and authority as a parent decreases as your child age and maybe completely gone by the time they are 18 if you don't build a deep relationship with them.  I believe that most of the fathers here want to be there for our children during the most influential years. I realize that our children really mirror us in many of our habits. The good news is that for us parents with children between 7-11, we still have time to become great dads. Our children don't want our money... they want our love and time.

[Panda]

How many of you guys have children in elementary school in Irvine? Which elementary school do they attend and what grades are they in?

[irvinehomeowner]

My kids are no longer elem age but hindsight tells me what I think I did wrong or right.

1. Don't expect too much.
2. Patience.
3. Treat them like you would treat your friends' kids (that may be good or bad )
4. Build authority with love not fear.
5. Enjoy all the moments, big or small.

And since we all have smartphones, take every pic and video you can... they will enjoy seeing their younger selves just as much as you do.

[Panda]

IHO, thanks for sharing.

I changed the title of the thread to Peer-to-Peer Parents Support Group as we definitely need teenage parents here as well to share their experiences.

My kids are no longer elem age but hindsight tells me what I think I did wrong or right.

1. Don't expect too much.
2. Patience.
3. Treat them like you would treat your friends' kids (that may be good or bad )
4. Build authority with love not fear.
5. Enjoy all the moments, big or small.

And since we all have smartphones, take every pic and video you can... they will enjoy seeing their younger selves just as much as you do.

[irvinehomeowner]

Middle and High School is when it gets tougher.

Like your picture says, the weight of your authority decreases as their age increases.

But I actually think my same 5 items apply. There is probably more, but I think those are broad enough to cover many situations.

As they get older, we try to encourage and nurture their interests but always provide realistic applications of what those will become as they build their own lives/careers/etc.

I was talking to a parent of a high schooler the other day and he said that whole "Do what you love" rhetoric needs to be tempered because teenagers today think that's going to take them wherever they want. They need to understand the expectations and may need to temper desire with necessity. I consider myself lucky because I like my career, it's what I've been interested in since high school so it's not a pain for me to get up every morning and do my work. That's what I want for my kids, for them to be able to support themselves and their families without having to hate their jobs.

[Compressed-Village]

How many of you guys have children in elementary school in Irvine? Which elementary school do they attend and what grades are they in?

GP kids will attend Beacon or Candence K-8. Beacon is becoming more established , with 3 years under its belt. Principals and staffs are wonderful. My kids are in Kinder age and it’s a well mixed and diversify students bodies.