childhood

Adults learn how to be parents by engaging in the experience of parenting, but they aren’t experts going in. Parents might try to mimic or avoid attitudes and behaviors that their own parents engaged in, but ultimately, it’s a hands-on job. Mistakes, and ill-informed arguments, are common. Reading books on parenting helps to build knowledge, but knowledge informs the intellect, it doesn’t necessarily inspire wise parenting. The key is for parents to be self-aware regarding their own emotional triggers, and to have the self-discipline to respond, instead of overreacting. That’s incredibly challenging, of course, and that’s why good parenting is a truly a spiritual practice. But teens can help their parents learn how to parent wisely. Here\’s how…