Parenting Without a PhD

By Traci Read

...“Oh my word! Did she really just say that?”
Recently those were words that I heard upon entering a very small bread store. Startled I glanced over to the register at the employee. What was he going on about? My child hadn’t said anything wrong – and there was no one else in the store...
Parenting Without a PhD is written with fun examples and helpful advice to help illustrate points. It is designed to be read either cover to cover or chapter by chapter in any order.
Temper tantrums, consequences, flexibility, attitude, all these and more are addressed in easy to read chapters. Are you looking for good, sound advice on parenting? Turn the pages and join Traci Read as she shares what worked - and didn't work - for her.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Traci Read
• Release date: Aug 1, 2012
• ISBN: 9781476026060

Traci Read

I am a mother of five children, two boys & three girls, ranging in ages from 2 to 12. I enjoy spending time with them, learning from them and creating memories that will last. In my spare time I enjoy reading, writing and photography.

Book preview

Parenting Without a PhD

Traci Read

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Parenting Without a PhD

Traci Read

Published by Traci Read at Smashwords

Copyright 2012 Traci Read

Cover image by Julian Harper

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you're reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

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Table of Contents

Introduction

Advice Is Good – But Is It Right For You?

Being On The Same Page

Raising Children With Manners

Temper Tantrums: Do They Deserve Your Attention?

Flexibility

Consistency – The Other Bad Word

Consequences – How To Make Them (Stick)

Compromise Made Simple

Attitude Is Everything

Love Them, Love Them, Love Them

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Introduction

Parenting can be a rewarding experience. It can also be overwhelming and frustrating at times. There is nothing more challenging than raising your child well. It may seem like you need a PhD just to begin to know what to do all the time. You don't.

Parenting is something that millions of people, through all walks of life, share in common. It gives us a connection with each other, whether we are strangers or friends.

I am a thirty three year old mother of five children. As I began my parenting experience I found that talking to other mothers was extremely helpful. We could swap stories and ideas with each other and all of it was practical advice. Not all of it was useful to me, but I took what I liked and tried it out.

As I found what worked for me I shared it with those around me. Thus is the life of a parent. We are forever trying to find what works for others in hopes that it will work for us as well. The challenge becomes finding those strategies we think are perfect or at least are willing to give a shot at.

Parenting Without a PhD is an overview of my ideas, thoughts and tried and true adventures of parenting my five children. I don't have a college degree in parenting or behavioral science or psychology. I am a mother of five children, that is my expertise. I am not perfect – and neither are my children. I do not command and they jump to my bidding. But what we have works and at the end of most days we go to bed loving each other.

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Advice Is Good – But Is It Right For You?

From the moment you start telling people you are expecting, it begins. Advice. You receive it when you ask for it and when you don’t. You get it from well-meaning friends and family. You even receive it from complete strangers at the grocery store, the bank, the library and even in restaurants. The fact of the matter is that you want the advice, but it gets overwhelming – especially when you didn’t ask for it. And as time goes on all the advice that you are getting is getting contradicted. Which is the right advice for you?

My first hard and fast rule for taking advice is that if I am not comfortable with it – it is not for me. Never do