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or 14 year old. 98% of the men that kill their wifes have eaten bread the previous day. Do you think we should make bread illegal? Buy books or visit web sites that deal with advertising issues. PBS Kids Go! Have a fine site at http://pbskids.org/dontbuyit/. Take time to educate yourself so that you can pass your knowledge onto to your children. Here is a great article for you and your child if they are beyond the beginning reading stage: http://www.usatoday.com/news/h ealth/2007-08-06-tots-mcdonald s_N.htm

A strong internal moral value system can be bolstered by church and its community, but it is by no means a requirement. Here modeling is KING. Don't throw trash out your car window and your child will find it completely repulsive when your 16-year-old sees their friend pitch a paper cup out the window. If a teller makes a mistake and you stand to benefit by $20, do the right thing and point out the mistake. Don't lie, don't embellish stories, don't swear, don't do anything you don't want your children to do! Here is a fine example that happened to me just the other day. I was with my five-year-old granddaughter and she wanted to go to the library.

"Oh, honey", I replied, "I don't think we have the time."

"Well then", says my cheeky granddaughter, "then you can choose going to the beach, going to the park or going to the library."

I busted up laughing. We use choices a lot with this child as she has a severe-decision-making disorder. Now that is not an official mental health diagnosis, but in her cause I wonder if an exception should be mad!

No five-year-old on the planet would think of giving an adult "choices" had it not been consistently model to them. Modeling is an enormously power parenting tool!

Many children are wearing makeup at 11, dating at 13, and watching MTV since they were in the crib. Think about what you want for your child. Set a reasonable time-table in your mind and stick to it!

As you watch your child grow with strong values, high self-esteem and good reasoning skills, letting them slowly move into the big-bad-nasty world on their own will be easier and more productive. Give them a strong base and slowly, but surely let them venture out to blaze their own path.

Strong parenting skills, reduced exposure to negative influences should put your child on the road to becoming an independent, successful and happy adult. Isn't that the wish that all parents have for their children?

Learn more about this author, Pam Hilts.
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