Tips for Action For Single Parents Health Education Essay

Tips for Action For Single Parents Health Education - Essay Example I have chosen 4 of the guidelines to discuss in this paper based on my experience with my parents. They are: set fair ground rules and discipline with love, be positive, give the child responsibility commensurate with maturity levels, and be a good role model. As am I not yet a parent myself, the only personal experience I have with parenting is by observing my own parents. Our household had a set of rules that were strong as iron. An infraction, or breaking of one of these rules was akin to a slap in the face. The rules were elegant in their simplicity. #1 Respect - above all else. Each person in the household was entitled to respect as a person. Our parents respected our opinions, and listened to what we had to say as long as it was in a correct tone of voice and in turn, we respected our parents because they seemed less dictators than guides. #2 Work hard, and work together. This meant if there was a job to be done, we were all to assist in completing it. Mom might have assigned individual tasks to us, but it was based on who was available at the moment, not who's "job it was".. Often, we were all working on different tasks at the same time in order to ensure everything got done in the least amount of time. These two simple rules governed our daily lives, and it worked to bring easy harmony. When one of the rules wasn't followed, my parents were believers in "reality discipline". This meant that we had to accept the reality of the outcome of our decisions. "Reality itself is conditional: If you do certain things, you face certain consequences" (Leman 27). This meant that the time I forgot to pick my clothes up off the floor, I didn't have any clean socks to wear. My parents were experts at this type of discipline. They were not being mean to me, I did not feel unloved. I only felt that the decision I had made was the wrong one and since I made the decision I was forced to accept the consequences. In this way, there was love - not anger- in my parent's discipline. In my opinion, this method of discipline was most effective for me and would be useful for most parents. Single parents would find this method particularly useful, as it allows the natural course of action to assist in teaching their children; acting in a fashion as an additional parent. Conversely, when we did something exceptional, or just noticeable, my parents rewarded our good behavior. Single parents would find this tip most helpful because it encourages the children to do right, in effect making them more helpful to the parent. Single parents are at a disadvantage when it comes to time with their children. In a traditional dual-parent home, there are two adults to share the responsibilities of maintaining a household; whereas in the single parent home the parent must shoulder the burden of everything. The single parent is the primary provider and caretaker, the gardener and the cook, the cheerleader and the coach. When the children are rewarded and encouraged, they feel that they can make a difference and are more willing to help around the house. This is a tremendous help to the overwhelmed single-parent. Children who are rewarded for picking up their toys, folding clothes, or any number of chores will remember that praise and will actively look for another opportunity to receive it. This will enable the single-parent with a wiling, helpful support