Sweating the "Parenting" Thing

I live in Houston and I hate to sweat. Not a good combination, right? I mean it gets hot here (heat index in the 100's lately), not to mention the hurricanes we see every year.

Sweating in the heat, to me, is kind of like sweating the whole parenting thing. See, when I was a kid I always thought that I'd have two children. A boy and a girl (of course). The American family, with me living the American dream. Now that I am a parent and I intentionally have only one child, the dream has changed to one of raising a happy child.

So, I am reading parenting books. Right now I am reading (and loving) Parenting an Only Child: The Joys and Challenges of Raising Your One and Only by Susan Newman, Ph.D.

Like all parenting books, this one tries to tell you what to do (and not do) when raising your children.

After reading most of a couple of these books I think I have learned a lot and I think (after talking it over with my husband) we have a philosophy about raising our only child. As such, I want to make some promises to my child:

• I promise to do my best to let you be your own person.
• I promise that I will try not to shove my dreams for you in your face and then look at you and voice my disappointment when you make a different choice than I would have liked you to.
• I promise that when I one day cement in my mind a plan for you, I will not be disappointed when you do not fulfill that vision because you are not me and I am not you.
• I promise to try my darnedest to not let my years of experience prevent you from making mistakes and learning, on your own, some of life's lessons.
• I promise to do my best to give you every opportunity.
• I promise that you will have a childhood that doesn't include the over scheduling of activities and lessons.
• I promise to push you when you need it and stand back when you don't.
• I promise to take an interest in (whether or not you want me to) and help you with your school work (when you ask).
• I promise to praise your accomplishments and abilities without overly criticizing your weaknesses and faults.

An ambitious list of promises, don't you think? I hope I can keep them. Even though she is nearly 2 years old and can't read this or know my intentions, all I want for her is happiness. In the end, isn't that what life boils down to?


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