My Child, My Self

As parents we always have set of rules inside the house for our children. We want them to follow it accordingly. Now that I am a parent I somehow follow the style where I grew up. My Mom and Dad separated when I was 6. My Mom left me and my brother to my Aunt because she went abroad. My Aunt was really conservative when it comes to parenting style. Like when wearing skirt the length should be below the knee, we are not allowed to be friends with a group of guys, whenever we commit mistake we cannot answer back to defend ourselves etc. During my younger years I may have been rebellious but as I mature I was able to understand why, and maybe because they were brought up the same way.

During my quiet time I try to ask myself, am I on the right track. I do self-assessment, I try to identify what parenting style that's still applicable in today's generation and what's not. I want my children to grow up with love, discipline and right values.

There are times that we get disappointed with our child because we want them to be like this..but they want the other way. My eldest daughter is already a pre-teener and when it comes to little things I let her decide on her own. Sometimes we expect our kids to be an extension of ourselves but we never realize that at some point he becomes a unique person with a separate view of the world.

I always wish that my children will grow up smarter than me. At times I try to evaluate them and identify their strength and weaknesses. We sat down and talk how they can improve themselves. I know not all of what I taught to them will retain in their minds but at least half. I shared to them my failures so they can use it as a guide.

Being a parent is really a challenging job. The foundation of a person's character starts with their upbringing at home. That is why some say "children are the reflection of their parents".