Step 2 - Understand

Sage the dog

Meet Sage the dog. 

She has been a member of our family for almost three years. We love her! She has been the perfect dog for my kids. She is calm, playful, obedient, patient, and loving.

What does Sage the dog have to do with parenting?

When we decided to get a dog for our family, I did a lot of research. I read and studied EVERY source I could get my eyes on about dogs and their temperaments. Because I believed this:

If I can UNDERSTAND what should be expected from my dog's temperament,     I can UNDERSTAND how she will act.

Likewise, if I can understand my child's temperament, I can understand WHY she is behaving in a particular way.

I love this quote from Laurence Steinberg's book, "The 10 Basic Principles of Good Parenting."

"The trick is to create situations that take advantage of your child's innate strengths and avoid those that accentuate his weaknesses. This requires knowing what makes your child tick, being flexible in your parenting, and treating you child as an individual." ~Laurence Steinberg

What can you do today to help you understand your child more?

Here are a few links to get you started:

• Understanding Your Child's Temperament from pbs.org 
• How to Understand Your Child's Temperament from healthychildren.org
• Your Child's Temperament: 9 Basic Traits to Consider from greatschools.org
• Ages and Stages Child Development from American society for the Positive Care of Children americanspcc.org

Let me know how understanding your child has helped you be a better parent! ~Piano Gal Val

References:

Steinberg, L. D. (2005). The ten basic principles of good parenting. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster Paperbacks.