Photo by Robert Collins on Unsplash

23 Parenting Tips from 23 Years of Parenting — and Over 30 Years of Teaching

Good parenting requires STEALING the best ideas!

I once heard someone say that parenting is the hardest job you’ll ever love. What an understatement! I thought with my master’s degree in education, lots of years of judging parents in public, and being an in-demand Godparent, I would know what to do. Wrong. Wrong. Wrong.

No child is perfect, and neither is any child. My kids may have been raised in the same house, but they came out day one as separate and unique individuals. It was frustrating that I couldn’t apply what I knew from one child to succeed with the next one.

I’ve listened and learned. Here are some of my favorite things I know for sure about parenting.

1. Contain the stuff: Stuff needs limits. One of the best things we did with Lego was get a plastic pool. If they wanted to make a creation, any Legos they use need to stay in the tub. Bins are your best friend. The toys they want will change over time. Never buy a toy too big to fit into the containers you get. Kids are entertained by large toys briefly, and then they’ll clutter your space.
2. Make things easy: Feed your kids outside as often as possible. Using the hose to clean your kids off after a spaghetti dinner is a…