Hygiene – Regular hand washing and bathing are assessed in this category. How many baths a week is necessary? What is the real deal on antibiotic soap versus the plain Ivory bar (it floats—good bath incentive for the water wary!) I guess the five-second rule isn’t such a good guideline after all.
Safety – This one seems to be pretty clear, thankfully, based on numerous safety studies performed by insurance and governmental agencies—helmets, seatbelts, no small objects, and no balloons as toys. But now we have to worry about lead paint in toys? There is a tremendous opportunity to be zealous in this area. Is common sense enough?
Education – Whether you home school versus sending your child to public or private school is not the area of evaluation here—it is how you administer the homework duties to ensure your child is getting the most out of the silliest assignments sent home. Some children respond well to homework, others need a big, fat stick (or carrot, whichever you prefer) as motivation to get their work done. This is a great area for guidance, since it spans so many years of a child’s education and gets increasingly more difficult, time consuming, and competitive over the years.
Manners – What happened to manners in my generation of producing children? I get a kick out of hearing Sir and Ma’am, and an even bigger smile when it is my child that says it. Respect for authority and others is under consideration in this area—and certainly one that does not get much attention these days.
Parent Time – “Without the kids around, there’s nothing to fight about” is my favorite quote of my brother-in-law, and the truth in this statement rings true for my husband and me. Parents need time to nurture and care for the relationship that spawned all this trouble (bliss!). I would be happy to know how I match up and compare with others in this area. How much is too little? How much is too much?
Family Time and Siblings – Not every family can be as fun and carefree as the Claire and Cliff Huxtable and their offspring on that sitcom of the late 80s The Cosby Show. How much of the angst and clash of personalities translates to dysfunction? Are any families “normal”? And, how much bickering between siblings is healthy before it turns into Cain and Abel?
PREVIOUS PAGE
