Boys Town

​​​​​​​​​​“There’s no manual for being a parent. You just have to kind of make it up as you go along.”

We’ve all heard these words at one time or another from our own parents or from our friends or coworkers. It’s something people say to try to make us feel better when we feel as if we’re struggling as parents.

The thing is, there actually is an effective parenting manual out there – one based on decades of real-world testing and practical research. It’s called Boys Town Parenting Principles and it’s based on some simple but crucial philosophies:

-Parent with patience and love (stay calm; don’t react out of anger)
-Use positive discipline (don’t just stop misbehavior; change it)
-Praise children for the good things they do
-Protect children and teach them how to protect themselves
-Prepare children for real-life situations
-Teach children to solve problems on their own
-Use parenting strategies that fit a child’s age and developmental level
-Help children develop and grow a strong spiritual foundation and moral compass