i've been thinking: parenting

yep! I've been at it again ... thinking, pondering, wondering, supposing.

It all comes from having my parents to stay last month.

I don't really want to go into what kind of parents they were to me, but they weren't great.

It all made me think about what kind of parent I want to be, and also what is really required of us to be the best parent we can be.

I came up with two words that I think encompass what it means to be a parent.

What is required of us?

nurture & protection

At least, that's what I think anyhow. These two words encompass everything good and everything my parents didn't do for me. I don't mean (by nurture & protection) that you stunt your children by not allowing them to become independent. You allow your children to become independant by being relevant to appropriate age and development. By simplifying my parenting style, I feel like it's not such a hard thing to be a good parent. It has empowered me to love my children for who they are where they are. They are not some label to be worked out by reading a book. I get to read them myself, as individuals. They really are gorgeous girls, who have so much neatness about them!

I think that the biggest mistake my parents made with me was that they never really wanted to KNOW me. They didn't bother to find out who I was, to unravel the real me.

hmmmmm!

protect

pro·tect /prəˈtɛkt/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[pruh-tekt] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation

–verb (used with object)

1.	to defend or guard from attack, invasion, loss, annoyance, insult, etc.; cover or shield from injury or danger.

2.	Economics. to guard (the industry or an industry of a nation) from foreign competition by imposing import duties.

3.	to provide funds for the payment of (a draft, note, etc.).

–verb (used without object)

4.	to provide, or be capable of providing, protection: a floor wax that protects as well as shines.

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[Origin: 1520–30; <>prōtéctus, ptp. of prōtegere to cover in front, equiv. to prō- pro-¹ + teg-, s. of tegere to cover (akin to toga, thatch) + -tus ptp. suffix]

nurture

nur·ture /ˈnɜrtʃər/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[nur-cher] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation verb, -tured, -tur·ing, noun

–verb (used with object)

1.	to feed and protect: to nurture one's offspring.

2.	to support and encourage, as during the period of training or development; foster: to nurture promising musicians.

3.	to bring up; train; educate.

–noun

4.	rearing, upbringing, training, education, or the like.

5.	development: the nurture of young artists.

6.	something that nourishes; nourishment; food.

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[Origin: 1300–50; (n.) ME norture <>nourriture <>nūtrītūra a nourishing, equiv. to L nūtrīt(us) (ptp. of nūtrīre to feed, nourish) + -ūra -ure; (v.) deriv. of the n.]