Honey, Where is the Manual?

Unlike electronics products, babies do not come with a user manual. So where do we go to learn about parenting?

For most of us, our source, inspiration and model comes from our parents. We look at the way our parents raised us and we draw our parenting tips from them.

I remember how, as a child, I am resentful of being sent to a corner to face the wall. This is my parents tactics of exercising discipline and I am quite well acquainted with the many walls of our two room HDB flat. Each session can last from an hour to two and I remembered swearing to myself that I will NEVER NEVER discipline my child this way.

Yet with my three children, not only do I use this "face the wall" tactic, I find it a great way to maintain peace and preserve sanity.

Depending on the way we were brought up, you may find yourself either using what your parents used or deliberately doing the opposite. We may not even be conscious that we are following our parents.

Parenting Tips:

1. Do an quick inventory of our parenting style

2. Compare and contrast with the style of our parents

3. Ask whether it is helpful

Note that there are no right or wrong ways of parenting. It is only the question of whether it is helpful for the child or not.