Introduction

Rules for staying sane

Relax

No one is perfect

Know what youre good at

Almost any rule can be broken occasionally

Dont try to do everything

You dont have to follow every piece of advice you get (including this one)

It's normal to want to escape

Youre allowed to hide from your kids

Parents are people too

Dont ignore your relationship with your partner

Attitude Rules

Love is not enough

Every recipe needs different ingredients

Look pleased to see them

Treat your child with respect

Enjoy their company

Being tidy isnt as important as you think

Good parenting is calculated risk taking

Keep your worries to yourself

See things from their point of view

Parenting is not a competitive sport

Everyday Rules

Let them get on with it

Teach them to think for themselves

Use praise wisely

Know the value of boundaries

Bribery doesn't have to be bad

Moods are catching

You're setting their eating patterns for life

Communicate

Set clear targets

Dont be a nag

Discipline Rules

Present a united front

Carrots beat sticks

Be consistent

Lighten up

Focus on the problem, not the person

Don't paint yourself into a corner

If you lose your temper, youre the loser

Apologise if you get it wrong

Let them back in

The right of expression

Personality Rules

Find out what incentives work for your child

Every child should have something they know they're good at

Learn to appreciate the qualities that remind you of someone else

Look for similiarities between you

Find qualities to admire in them

Let them be better than you

Their attitude is as important as their achievements

Keep your fears and insecurities to yourself

Mind your programming

Don't try to have a perfect child

Sibling Rules

Give them each other

Recognise that squabbling is healthy (within reason)

Teach them to sort out their own arguments

Work as a team

Let them entertain each other

Never compare children with each other

Different children need different rules

Dont have a favourite

Mix and match

Find each childs strengths

School Rules

Schooling isn't the same as education

School comes as a package

Fight your child's corner

Bullying is always serious

Teach them to stand up for themselves

Put up with friends of theirs you don't like

Remember you're their parent, not their teacher

Don't mollycoddle them

Let up the pressure

They have to live with their choices (and it's ok)

Teenage Rules

Don't Panic

Remember Newton's Third Law

Give them a voice

Dont look under the mattress

Running around after them doesn't help anybody

Don't stand in front of a speeding train

Yelling isn't the answer

Everything comes with strings

Show some respect for the things they care about

Adopt a healthy attitude to sex

Crisis Rules

Dont use your kids as ammunition

Let them cope in their own way

Being younger doesn't necessarily speed everything up

The aftershock can last forever

Tell them whats going on

Teach them to fail successfully

It's better to agree than to be right

All your actions speak louder than any of your words

Make sure they know theyre priority no. 1

You cant fix everything

Grown-up Rules

Back off

Wait until they ask for advice

Treat them as adults

Dont try to be their best friend

Encourage them regardless

Leave the strings off

Dont guilt-trip them

Remember they still need you

Its not your fault

Once a parent, always a parent

About the Author

Richard Templar is the author of the international bestselling Rules books. Over 2 million people around the world have enjoyed and now play by Richard Templar's Rules.

The complete list of titles is as follows: Rules of Life, Rules of Work, Rules of Management, Rules of Wealth, Rules of Parenting and Rules of Love.

Reviews

"A realistic book that recognises the challenges all parents face and lays out a number of strategies to help you raise happy healthy children."Derby Evening Telegraph

Table of Contents

About the Author

Reviews