Covenant Community Capital

There is an entire industry devoted to teaching people how to be good parents. Instead of trying to include every detail in this session, we focus on some basic things to keep in mind when life starts to stress you out. Having a positive, healthy relationship with your children is a fast-track to happiness.

Some of the things we cover include:

• Creating a safe environment for children
• Being involved in your child’s life, even when you’re busy working
• Communicating rules and consequences

This session is an excellent opportunity to discuss strategies that work for you, and to share ideas with the group.

Creating a Safe Environment for Children

The concept of a “save environment” is deliberately vague. Obviously, your home has to be physically safe for your children. We can review some basic concepts of childproofing and strategically arranging your home to reduce the chance of an accident. We can also go over some of the “hidden” dangers to children, such as mold, asbestos, and less dangerous allergens.

But the concept of a safe environment goes beyond physical safety. A child’s home should be a place where they can feel most like themselves. They should be comfortable sharing the joy and pain of each day. It should be an emotional safe space that encourages healthy psychological development.

We look at both sides of what defines a safe environment for children. It’s easy to address the physical issues, and a lot more difficult to address the emotional ones. However, when you encourage good communication and have a positive relationship with your kids, a safe environment is the natural byproduct of good parenting.

Being Involved in Your Child's Life

The idea of being involved in your child’s life is nothing new. In practice, though, it’s easier said than done. Being involved is more than just spending time with your child. It’s about having meaningful interactions where you can learn more about one another.

Some of the things we touch on include:

• Finding common interests with your children
• Dedicating time each week to spend time together, away from the pressures of everyday life
• Creating a network of caring adults, from teachers to counselors to coaches

Your goal is to surround your child with people who know them and have insight into their personalities. This way, you can provide a strong support system through school and after-school activities

Communicating Rules and Consequences

Every parent has their own style. But in almost every case, successful parenting relies on a clear communication of rules and consequences. In this session, we’ll outline some of the key strategies for setting rules and boundaries, and what to do when the lines are crossed. Some of the things we discuss include:

• Setting fair rules and setting your child up for success
• Communicating rules when your child is most likely to listen
• What to do when the rules are broken
• The art of forgiveness and teachable moments

Since this is a subject with such a variety of individual preferences, we prefer to reinforce the principles of setting rules and communicating boundaries.