QuiverX Newsletter - Child Training & Vitamins

Parenting

Over the years I have read many parenting books. I've read everything from Dr. Spock's book to books by Dr. Dobson to the books written by Mike and Debi Pearl. Some things made sense to me, but many of them didn't make sense. It's easy to say that you just need to put your toddler in time out when he misbehaves, but it's a much different thing to make that work. And it's easy to say that you need to connect with your teenager and talk to them about the issues that are causing conflict, but it's a totally different thing to actually try to do that. I can say that from experience, I've tried to do both at one time or another.

I've developed my own philosophy of child discipline over the years, and it generally works. Not that I never have struggles with my children - I do. Each child is different and each stage of development offers new challenges both for the child and the parents. But, I can generally express my core philosophy of child discipline in 2 parts.

Part 1 – You Can't NOT Train Your Children

Every interaction with your children trains them about the world and how they interact with it. If you tell a child to do something and they refuse, your reaction trains them as to what is acceptable behavior and what isn't. If you tell them again, you train them that you will repeat yourself and that they can ignore the first instructions from you. If you get up to enforce your instructions, they will learn that they need to do what you say the first time.

Even if you try to NOT train your children, say by ignoring certain behavior, you are still training them. If your child is pulling tissues out of the box one after another and you ignore their behavior, you teach them that it's ok to pull tissues out of the box. So, even by ignoring behavior, you train your child.

You can't escape it – you ARE training your child. The key is to decide HOW you want to train your children, consciously and ahead of time. Then, if you are consistent in reacting in harmony with your chosen goals, your children will begin to behave the way you want. Not all the time, of course. They are still children and they will push the limits from time to time. But in a general sense, they will rise to your expectations.

Part 2 – Your Children Will Change Their Behavior Only When They are Uncomfortable
Often when our children are misbehaving, the parents are the ones who are distressed. We get upset about the mess, or we are embarrassed, or we are frustrated. We want our children to change their behavior, but we don't know how to make that happen.

The key is to make the child uncomfortable with the status quo. If THEY are the ones uncomfortable, they will be highly motivated to make a change in their behavior. Children are like anyone else – we all prefer to be comfortable and we'll go to great lengths to preserve our comfort zones.

So, when your child is misbehaving, make THEM uncomfortable. That will mean a different course of action for different children. Some will respond to being grounded, some will respond to a scolding, others will require other measures. Consider your child's personality and use what you think will get their attention.



Health

One thing that I have found that helps me keep up with life is taking my vitamins. If I don’t take them for a few days, I begin to see the difference. I have less energy and I’m less patient. If I still don’t take them, I’ll begin to see my health suffer. Needless to say, I’ve learned to take my vitamins!

One of my favorite vitamins is CoQ10. I have only been taking this for about a year, but it sure makes a difference! CoQ10 is a co-enzyme that helps your body with energy metabolism. It is common for people to have less CoQ10 as they age. It’s also common to be deficient in our country because so much of our food lacks nutrients. Another group of people who should take this supplement are people who take statins to reduce cholesterol. These medications tend to deplete CoQ10 levels, so supplementation is important.

When looking for a CoQ10 supplement, look for a softgel rather than a capsule. The softgels contain a more easily absorbed form of CoQ10. I take 100mg daily, but supplements range from 30mg to 200mg. In the health food section of my super market, I pay about $20 for a 30 count bottle of 100 mg softgels. I know it sounds expensive – it did to me when I first started taking it – but it really is worth it!

Please make sure you discuss with your doctor before starting any supplementation regimen.



Proverbs 3:5,6
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths."