My Parenting Guide: 87 Tips for Successful Child Raising

1. Let it go.
2. Make and freeze pb&j sandwiches.
3. Let it go.
4. Plan a monthly menu (such a lifesaver--no moments of indecision)--I have yet to master this.
5. Marry an easy-going guy.
6. Feed the kids oatmeal as a bedtime snack in the tub (I'm talking 1-2 years old here.  No, my 7-year-old doesn't eat oatmeal in the shower).
7. Clean the bathroom during bathtime.
8. Let it go.
9. Avoid shopping with your kids when they are hungry.
10. Avoid shopping with your kids when they are sick.
11. Avoid shopping with your kids when their energy level is too high.
12. Avoid shopping with your kids when their energy level is too low.
13. Let them wear the same shirt to bed that they wore all day.  Occasionally.
14. Stay home as much as possible.
15. Read together.
16. Let it go.
17. Remember: anything is fun as long as Dad and Mom are playing.
18. Skip the toy buying.  Kids love spoons, bowls, leaves, dirt, rocks, acorns, feathers and toilet paper.
19. Notice that my kids are fun and funny.
20. Come to grips with the fact that kids are a lot of work.
21. Come to grips with the fact that kids are REALLY a LOT of work.
22. Let it go.
23. Reassure myself. Some days I want to clap my hands over my ears, scream and run far, far away. That's normal.
24. Enjoy myself.  Some days I want to hold them in my arms and never let them go. That's normal.
25. Talk about God.
26. Talk about God when we're sitting on the couch, when we're laying on the trampoline looking up at the sky, when we're going for a walk and when I tuck them in bed at night.
27. Cook with them.
28. Clean with them. (I just learned this year how much my kids love Clorox wipes.  Invest.)
29. Sing with them.
30. Laugh with them.
31. Cry with them.
32. Be silent with them.
33. Apologize.
34. Affirm my love.
35. Find out what makes them feel loved.
36. Let it go.
37. Tell them how much I love them...at the most random times.  They believe me.
38. Wash their clothes.
39. Pick up their messes.
40. Teach them to pick up their own messes.
41. Teach them that it's okay to help other people with their messes, too.
42. Listen to their fears.
43. Listen to their dreams.
44. Listen to their stories.
45. Notice their talents.
46. Praise their successes.
47. Forgive their failures.
48. Let it go.
49. Don't expect too little.
50. Don't expect too much.
51. Let them get muddy.
52. Let them play independently, so they can foster creativity and work out problems on their own.
53. Play with them, so we can have fun together.
54. Give them hugs.
55. Give them affirmation.
56. Give them hugs of affirmation.
57. Kisses are good, too.
58. Ask their opinion.
59. Refrain from always giving mine.
60. Let it go.
61. Sigh less.
62. Sleep less. (This is not a tip, merely a reality.)
63. Snuggle more.
64. Pray together.
65. Pray about the big things.
66. Pray about the little things.
67. Pray about the things in-between.
68. Let it go.
69. Treasure the past.
70. Relish the present.
71. Joyfully anticipate the future.
72. Be fair.
73. Be merciful.
74. Be humble.
75. Be faithful.
76. Be loving.
77. Be strong.
78. Be joyful.
79. Be peaceful.
81. Be patient.
82. Be kind.
83. Let it go.
84. Give everything to God.
85. Trust Him.
86. Wait for Him.
87. Rest, knowing that He will be the perfect parent that I could never be, and He loves my children perfectly.