Heart4kidsadvocacyforum's Blog

We all parent our children from elements of our own childhood experiences.  We then infuse other practices that we are exposed to. Another element that is part of what we do is crafted from our intuition and cultural values.  An eclectic approach to parenting is my favorite approach to parenting children.  It has got to be your personal decision.  We have to be non-judgmental and supportive of each family’s lifestyle and parenting practices that they choose for their children.  Recognizing that no two families are going to have identical parenting practices even when they have been raised by the same parents in the same home.  Why is this? Well for one thing each child will interpret their experience with their parents differently.  A child’s perspective of what transpired in their childhood curiously enough, stays consistent as even an adult. I get a tickle sometimes when my siblings and I discuss events from our childhood and discover that each of has a different story of what took place.  It is actually quite fun! 

I have had the privilege of teaching preschoolers from an array of cultural backgrounds.  There have been times when I would as many as 10-15 different ethnicities represented in my classroom.  It was a joy to dive into aspects of their culture because it gave me an opportunity to explore and engage in their family’s values, culture, and parenting styles.  I learned so much from taking advantage of what I had been gifted as a teacher.  The diversity and complexity of each cultural expression gave me great insight as to not only how parents of different ethnicities value and raise their children but instilled in me the desire to expand and enhance my own parenting skills.  I know without reservation that parents want the best for their children and are concerned about wanting to honor and respect their elders that raised them in conjunction with adapting to the society in which they are raising their children. 

No one intentionally wants their children to be out of sync with what other children are experiencing, but at the same time we have an allegiance to honor, respect, and uphold some of the most important tenements of our culture.  We owe it to our children to instill certain family and cultural values in their life’s expression.  So much of who they are is embedded in their DNA, and DNA holds so many of the wonderful secrets of our cultural expressions.  So, my advice today is for us to think about what parenting practices we want to implement with our children that will be appropriate in terms of first the nature of our child, and then in terms of our cultural values that will allow our children to also be confident and secure in how they are being raised. 

The joys of parenting are never ending!  If we are awake in our lives and tune into our gift of parenting, this divine destiny path we are on will reap unbelievable rewards!

We parent our children with the intention of doing our best to raise them from a loving heart and mindful thoughtfulness to ensure their wellbeing and social skills to navigate life.