I recently read that July is “Purposeful Parenting Month.” Hmm… Is this positive parenting? Something different? It certainly was a new term that I had not read about. I did some research and learned several interesting and helpful ideas, including:

• “Purposeful parenting” clarifies for the child what is expected of him/her
• It maintains that the parent establish rules or boundaries and reinforces these rules at all times
• It considers what you value and believe as well as what your child values and believes to create an environment of respect
• Compassion, understanding, attention, and even fun are components of this style
• “Purposeful parenting” looks for ways to keep the child positively engaged while simultaneously building and strengthening the parent-child relationship

If this sounds like something you might be interested in, consider:

• Try to spend alone time, one on one, with each of your children every day. This doesn’t need to be hours, but certainly finding 15 minutes of uninterrupted attention for one another in a day
• Exercise as a family. Not only do you spend time together, but you also reinforce the importance of physical activity for healthy living
• Eat dinner together. Research shows that this is one of the keystones to any strong family. Engaging in discussion without smart phone or TV as distractions builds communication and trust.
• Give your child household chores. Having chores helps to teach your child about responsibility, as well as giving him or her a sense of importance in keeping the household functional.

I was pleased to read that there are several things Ryan and I already do together, but as I read: “parenting is an ongoing path of learning” – and I certainly learned a few ideas to consider!