Parenting

Lead Your Children to Good Health and High Character

How will you raise your child? Your approach to parenting will be influenced by many factors, including how you were raised, how your acquaintances raise their children, and the importance you place on parenting. Your personality and that of your child will also shape your parenting style. Some children are compliant and “easy,” others are more defiant and require more effort to train. Like any endeavor, the more effort you invest, the greater the reward.

Parenting is a high calling which, unlike most endeavors in life, has significant, long-lasting effects upon the life of a child and even upon those touched by that child throughout his or her life. Parents must not be mere observers of their child, but active participants in all aspects of his or her life. Optimal child-rearing requires a willingness and commitment from the parent to lead the child to competence and character. This means that, as much as possible, parents should assume the primary care of their child, not expecting others to do this job for them, such as relatives, babysitters, or teachers.

The American College of Pediatricians (ACPeds) has developed this parenting section to encourage and equip parents to assume the role that is rightly theirs.

Authoritative Parenting - There is no shortage of parenting manuals available today, but few are backed by research or evidence of success. The advice promoted in this section is based upon a time-tested, research-proven approach.

Lead Your Child to Good Health - Parents should lead their children, not merely provide or facilitate for them. Here are primary areas in which parents should lead.

Parenting Resources - This reading material has been selected to assist parents in the care of their children and adolescents.

Movies and Media - These resources have been selected to assist parents in discerning the content and usage of digital media.

Family Cycle - The Family unit is fundamental to the success or failure of child rearing. The ACPeds has developed this resource to demonstrate the importance of every aspect of childrearing and the perpetuating effects of the process.

Web Resources - This collection of Internet resources is provided for educational use only and is not intended to be a substitute for consultation with a physician concerning the issues presented. The resources listed under each topic are not exhaustive.