If I had written 11 or seven hours would it have made a difference? Your reinforceing your guilt with excuses, nit picking and post modern thinking that children are little adults who are not in dire need of parental role models.

By own admission these working parents are tired. Come home bath the kids, Mom cooks and likely cleans. Child misbehaves so parents ignore it or get cross. Then Kiss, Kiss off to bed. Now I / WE CAN RELAX.

I dare you to time the amount of time you spend actually teaching your children what real affection is about. Time your nurturing. Write down what you taught your kid today. Children are not little robots that need to manipulate into boxes to fit YOUR lifestyle. It is the other way round. Teachers and that school your child attends is not too blame for your lack of parenting.

Simplistic Gareth, I think not. It takes a lot of courage, sacrifice and more than a few measly hours a day. It is bloody hard work.

We have Mundundu who understands what it is to be a Stepfather and responsible Dad because of his role model. Okay both are forced to work. Totally different from a defined choice to maintain careers,and have children.

The alternatives to saying no ! This workshop revolves around getting what you need as a parent without having to say the negative and forceful No! There are many useful ways of putting boundaries in place without “NO!”

The setting of boundaries workshop is how to put YOUR (yes YOURS, not someone else’s)boundaries in place in such a way that are firm yet respectful and with out undermining the dignity of your child.

The Siblings with Success is exactly that. How to avoid the competition, the conflict and the hectic rivalry when it gets too much

‘Saying sorry is not enough’ is about standing in being fully responsible for the impact our actions have on others.

there is more detail on http://www.robinbooth.co.za/training

This is an interesting article. I must admitt that I have always been rather skeptical when it comes to “personal development” coaches or “motivational speakers” but once I went to a workshop in London (presented by an American metaphysicist) and when I came out it was as if I was in a dream for the two or so weeks that followed; everything was perfect. Life was even more beutiful than it was before I went in and I saw that even negative things have a good side and that ALL good things have a negative side. So, having kids is both bad and good. Like all parents, I love my kids but sometimes I can’t stand them. Thankfully my husband is very hands on.

This is a really good article. Thanks for writing it. I will certainly look into coming to one of your workshops when you in CT.

By the time my parents and grandparents were about six, they were either at school, running about outside in a glorious unattended whirl of tree-climbing and wandering, eating or sleeping. So it must have been before that. Although I seem to remember that my great-grandparents were working from the age of about 13 so can safely assume it was probably even before their time. Can’t be as far back as the caveman surely? I’d have expected the rot to be worse by now.

On the other hand, if Hugh is talking about very early childhood, well, I’d back him up on that but just not quite in that particular voice. Attachment parenting in its various guises is a strong support base for a young child if parents are able to go there, and it’s a good springboard for them to secure their independence later in life.

Did you even bother to read the article? It frustrates me when people like yourself (who believe they are the sole moral authority on child rearing), aspire to enforce your own indoctrinated strategies regarding parenting on the rest of us, ultimately failing to register that there may be other alternatives to raising a child.

While I agree with you that a child needs constant care and support, it is not solely the role of the mother! What a ridiculous, antiquated statement. Families are no longer by necessity the traditional nucleus of mother-father-child. And your statement that the apparent lack of mother’s influence being responsible for our country’s lack of a moral compass is simplified and unrealistic. Our problems in this country are far more complex and intertwined, requiring a lot more than just good parenting.

What’s worse than you blatant knee jerk reaction to this article is that you fail to see that the author is essentially aspiring to become a better parent, using time more efficiently and effectively to create a more sincere and relaxed home environment. How on earth can that be a bad thing? And how is striving to be a better parent not “get(ting) down to real parenting?” What is real parenting, by your knowledgeable definition?

Consider being less judgmental and please refrain from lecturing others on communication skills until you yourself are more open-minded.

my stepdad gave me so much time that being a stepfather in my own right has been a piece of cake. so much so that i rarely use the word step when referring to my son these days, especiall now that i have sole custody.

most of my friends, by the way, were brought up by single fathers who prioritised their children. almost all of them, to a wo/man, are either very involved parents — or got fixed the moment they realised that they didn’t think they could hack parenthood.

Its hard to agree on common practices with other parents, however, keeping an open mind seems to help. Its also an idea to have uninterrupted time with each child regularly, whether through play, work or chat to strengthen bonds.

Happy parenting!

Consider, The reason for your lack of parenting skills lies directly on the shoulders of your parents because of their lack of real role models in your life.

Consider that the reason for your lack of comunication with your kids is that they do not know you or your wife and what values and life skills you bring into their lives.

What little they know is what they glean from those kids around them and the few rules applied by others.

Why did you have children if you could not afford to support a family? If you both want a carreer do not have kids.

Children should be nurtured and taught by a mother 16 hrs a day. They learn respect, affection and whole bunch of other stuff that strangers cannot teach them. Mother are the moral compass of a nation once the mother is missing from a childs hourly living that child is lost.

Look around and you should see the result of this in SA.

In effect kids today remind me of those brought up in an orphanage were the damage is only apparent later in life.

Cut the BS and get down to real parenting and see the difference.