As always in your discussion, respond thoughtfully to this 2 postings.#1 Angie post:1. If I were to have to require a license to parent, I would require psychological and drug/alcohol testing. I think this is so important because children are so helpless, they only know what their environment allows them. Obviously substance abuse is bad and not healthy for children to be around or those children will end up being in custody of the state. Psychological testing to ensure that the child will be in safe hands from the moment they are born. I am so tired and saddened by the constant reports of child abuse, molestation, death….. and so many of these are by the parents own hands! I think some of the other things that may seem logical to have straightened out before parenting are actually what makes us who we are. 2. I grew up with both parents, having been together since they were 15 and their first child at 15/16. They had 5 children (all girls!) and just celebrated their 36th anniversary a few weeks ago! I have shared my family story with many people as we are moving and making new friends. I find that people are surprised at the successful outcome that my parents had being put in that position at such a young age but recently I was asked a similar question by a friend and I keep circling back to the word respect. My parents drilled that into us; whether it was self-respect/image, respect for our elders, coaches, or our home. I really believe that one word/virtue has taught me so much throughout my life and is always useful. 3. Learning the value of respect and its impact, I have tried to do as my parents did and teach my children the same way. I have witnessed this paying off by the way my kids interact with others and feel good knowing that I can trust them to make good decisions even if I am not there. All of that comes back to them understanding respect. They need to respect my decisions as a parent, respect other people and their property, display respectful behavior, respect the community and environment.#2 Tamika post:If you had to obtain a license to parent, what would you require, and why? I believe parents obtaining a license before becoming a parent is a good idea. Ethical parenting above all is responsible caregiving, requiring of parents enduring investment and commitment throughout their children’s long period of depending (Bornstein, 2002). I believe this to be logical, because how you raise your kids will determine (most of the time) how they will live their adult lives. Rather they were raised right and live a good adult life or raised wrong and live a bad adult life. Sometimes growing up bad influences you to do the right thing when you become an adult. Most parents now in days have no clue on what to do to become a parent. Majority of them go off of social media and how they were raised. Discuss an incident from your childhood which typifies the parenting style of your parent(s). My mother had an authoritative parenting style. Everyday she would check my homework in the evening and assist me with help if I had any questions. As a result, I grew up to love school and have maintained the honor roll through both middle school and high school. To add to this, both of my parents have spoiled me with a lot of hugs and kisses, even today as a college student. As a child and even today, there was never a dull moment with my mom. She is so fun to be around and very comical. Now that I am an adult, I find myself laughing a lot as I have adopted my sense of humor from my mom. Since I am friendly, finding a job has never been a problem. In fact, I have been offered two jobs, both on the spot. In addition to this, it is not very hard for me to make friends today. In fact, I am acquitted with about half of the staff at my job. In short, I have adopted my mother’s sense of humor and my father’s friendliness.Compare/contrast that experience with how you, as a parent, might handle a similar situation today. I believe that nurture has influenced my development more than nature. For example, my mother always assured me that I can talk to her about anything. She has always been very laid back and made me feel comfortable talking to her. Furthermore, she encouraged me to express my feelings. As a result, I am a very open communicator and not afraid to express myself to anyone. In fact, out of all of my siblings, I am the most expressive and the most outgoing. For example, I participated in many school plays and performed at family reunions as a child as it was a hobby that I enjoyed. To summarize, my mother has influenced my ability to express myself and communicate as a young adult. Their abundance of love has influenced me to be a lover to everyone, especially my children. References:Bornstein, M.H. (2002). Handbook of Parenting. Mahwah, N.J.: Psychology Press.
