Thank your parents!

Ever since I have started talking with people about becoming a parent I have learned that there are more schools of thought when it comes to parenting than I had ever dreamed.  There are as many different theories as there are children!  The important thing is that you find what works for you and your child.  That may mean that you try and emulate everything your parents did for/with you, or it might mean that you start at the drawing board.  But before you go thinking that you know how to do everything better than your parents or that you didn't like things that they did remember that they raised you, and you are still here to tell the tale so it couldn't have been all bad.

All in all I guess you could say I'm not a big fan of the new wave of parenting theories I've heard about.  I'm very old school I guess.  If a kid acts up he deserves a spanking, if they can't be quiet in the restaurant you take them to the car, if they won't eat what is made for them they go without.  It's your child and you can raise them and discipline them however you like, that's your right as a parent.  Just don't expect me to agree with you, and you shouldn't care if I do agree with you.

Bottom line for me is that now that I'm going to be a parent soon I find myself thinking back more and more on how I was raised and I have to admit my parents did a damn good job with me and Timmy and I hope that I can do half as good as they did.

Fred