Little Keswick School, located in Keswick, VA, featured speaker Ruth Peters, Ph.D., www.ruthpeters.com, from Clearwater, FL as part of the Foundation’s ongoing mission of furthering positive parenting skills. Peters, a practicing family clinical psychologist for over 20-years and the author of numerous parenting books, spoke to over 80 people at the event. Held in Ruffner Hall Auditorium at the University of Virginia, her lecture was titled “A Positive Parenting Approach to Disciplining Children.” In it, as part of her lecture, she offered the following very sage summary for good parenting.

1. Thou shalt not expect thy child to be reasonable. And, never try to reason with the unreasonable.


2. Thou shalt not reward in an unconditional manner.


3. Thou shalt not consequate thyself in lieu of consequating thy child.


4. Thou shalt not get suckered into a guilt trip.


5. Thou shalt not expect thyself to be reasonable all of the time.


6. Thou shalt not expect thy child to be intrinsically organized. Assume if left to his own devices, he will accomplish little.


7. Thou shalt not expect internal motivation for good behavior. External motivation may be necessary to jumpstart appropriate behavior.


8. Thou shalt realize that many children don’t lose their tempers, they use their tempers.


9. Thou shalt sayeth what thou meaneth, and meaneth what thou sayeth.


10. Thou shalt not expect thy children to thank thee for any of this before they hath children of their own!