HW 57

I think that a god parent is: someone who will love their child unconditionally, respects their kids, doesn't abuse them, is a good role model, smart, caring, and a little bit strict. I think parents should try to spend as much time with their kids as possible because the kids look up to you and need to learn from someone. That's why it's sad when I see those "Park Avenue-Type" nannies with kids in the playground on the weekend. If you don't want to be with your kids, why did you have them? It is fine to have a nanny during the week when the parents are working or send them to daycare or if both parents are busy one night the nanny can co9me but otherwise, a nanny shouldn't be taking on a 24/7 mother role. The kids will sometimes turn out messed up as they grow older because they never had anyone teaching them right from wrong. It's also important to give kids their space but not too much because that's how trouble starts. Parents should talk to their kids about important things and about what the right/wrong thing to do is and then the kid can use their judgement on what to do in certain situations because there is only so much a parent can do. Kids need to learn from their own mistakes but then the parents should be there to help them afterwards. I think that some of the things that young children should learn first is the most important things to the mother and/or father because those things will stick with them for the rest of their life.

I was parented in a household where I was obviously really loved and cared for by everybody-maybe even too much on my part. It was before my sister was born so basically I was the center of my family's universe. I was kind of a brat when I was younger and it was "my way or the highway". Then when my sister came, I wasn't the center of that anymore and I was so used to be the only kid that when my parents switched focus onto my sister, I got mad like most older siblings do. My parents always want me to be the responsible one and put a lot of pressure on me to do that. As I grew up and still today, my parents are very supportive of most things I do but there number 1 priority for me is my schooling and education. My parents aren't the type of parents to always congratulate me on something or as they say "give praise when there's nothing to praise." I get critiqued a lot by them and I don't get as many compliments from them. I still get them, though. They also keep on a sort of tight leash and don't let me do many things like they still control my TV watching time and are always ask me about my homework. They are great parents when it all comes down to it because they will always love me and taught me many tings. They also tolerate some of my BS. They get me mad a lot but I will never stop loving them. And even though they are kinda strict, I would take that over too lenient of a parent any day.

I read that article about attachment parenting. I think that when the baby is very young, the mother or both parents need to pay attention because babies can't do anything for themselves and need loving and nurturing, but as the baby grows up, the parents should start dettaching themselves from the kid a little bit (example: no more sleeping in the parents bed) because then they will always be attached to the parent and will have a hard time leaving them which is something kids need to do-independence is key in life and how else will they learn? Parents need to balance the time spent with kids.