MAY 1, 1997

The Guilt of Every Mother

Editor

STOCKTON DESK - Are you raising your child right? Well you are not alone with this question.

Just as rocking your child to sleep and cuddling him comes natural to parents, feeling guilty about making right or wrong choices in child rearing do too. It's the experience of every parent.

We are all sucked into this cycle, and once you're in it, there seems to be no way out. We simply try to be the best parent we can be and move ahead.

Our guilt comes from not knowing, or finding out too late what we did was wrong. knowing something until it was too late to do anything about it.

Important information about child development always seems to pop up just when the crisis is over.

Just when you begin worrying about choosing the right preschool for your four-year-old, you read that the educational experiences of the first three years are more influential than preschool.

Parents also feel guilty for not acting on the information they have.

Today, parents should't be able to claim ignorance with all the information on child rearing on TV, magazines and especially the WEB.

There does seem to be alot of confusion about what are the best methods to raise a healthy happy child.

There is always more than two sides to an issue. Who do we believe?

Will sparing the rod spoil the child, or will spanking teach him that violence is an acceptable way to solve problems?

Kids are not as fragile as we think they are, and their capacity to forgive and forget is enormous.

The mothers and fathers of the world understand what you experience too and believe it they have been through many of the same trials you have.

For this reason, you should network with other parents and share your experiences as a tool for growth and learning.

It's Important to keep In mind that no one knows how to be a perfect parent but if we have utilized the resources available we can feel good about the children we raise.