Christlike Parenting

I was talking with a friend the other day about disciplining children. We both have toddlers the same age that are testing their boundaries and learning right from wrong. So what is the most effective way to accomplish this?
I thought to myself...as parents we expect our kids to understand as we understand. When they don't understand, we lose patients. We sometimes forget that they are still learning what right from wrong even means.
We continued discussing this topic when she mentioned she had read this book about how to parent without losing patience or resorting to anger. She suggested reading "Christlike Parenting." I was sold when she said in the month since she had finished this book, she had only raised her voice to her daughter ONCE! I went home that day and found it online and within the week it was in my hands. I sat down with the book and a crayon, marking the points I found helpful.

**Good parents create withing their homes a safe, positive, happy, noncoercive, nonabusive environment where consequences are consistently and lovingly applied; an environment where children behave well in order to enjoy the positive benefits of behaving well, rather than to avoid the negative consequences of behaving badly.**

While this quote is full of insight, it is only possible if our lives are centered around Christ.

**If our lives...are centered upon Jesus Christ...nothing can ever go permanently wrong. On the other hand, if our lives are not centered on the Savior and his teachings, no other success can ever be permanently right.**

As I read these words, I decided that if I wanted to be a good parent, I needed to change my focus. I need to make myself better before I can make my parenting skills better. What does this mean? If I want the Lord's help in raising a child the way He would, I need to understand His ways. How can I do this? By studying Him, in the scriptures, in daily prayer, in the music I listen to, in my daily activities. If I can find the Savior in each aspect of my daily life, it will only come natural to raise a child as He would.

Wish me luck.