Tips for parenting, healing geese

Dear Editor,

All sorts of advice is available on raising children.

There is no such thing as a perfect parent or a perfect child.

Being a parent is challenging. This old world is a tough place. We need to help our children. Our children need to develop resilience and ways to survive.

Success in life requires hard work and sacrifices. We are given opportunities to learn by our mistakes Most of us are not practically perfect like Mary Poppins.

Failure is an opportunity to learn. Rules need to be discussed and enforced. Logical and reasonable consequences must be set.

Children and adults need to learn good coping skills. We have to take a deep breath, say a prayer and rethink what we have done.

A sincere apology or trying again is like applying a soothing balm to a wound.

If we make bad choices, there are consequences. Action on the part of a parent should be immediate and be carefully planed.

Life is like climbing a steep trail in the mountains. If it were meant to be easy, it wouldn’t be so hard.

There is no way to raise children without stopping to evaluate a situation. Attitudes are important.

Situations develop when we are raising animals. Recently, a friend of mine had a problem with her boxer dog. She has a flock of very tame geese and one is a very nice white drake (male).

Her dog suddenly was overcome with instincts of his wolf ancestors. He chased the geese, leaving piles of feathers everywhere.

She found her very tame male goose hiding and totally without his feathers. The other geese had disappeared, but finally returned, missing some feathers.

One female goose returned, totally unharmed.

Dr. Wayne Watkins of the Red Willow Animal Clinic prescribed an antibiotic to treat naked goose’s wounds.

“Eight Tips for Parenting” by Lyle J. Birrup and Wendy Ulrich, PhD, are:

1. Teach by example.

2. Paise for efforts, not just success.

3. Praise more than you correct.

4. Teach that mistakes are part of life.

5. Ask questions to help solve problems.

6. Allow children to experience consequences.

7. Stay positive

8. Let them solve problems and do hard things.

Helen Ruth Arnold,

Trenton, Neb.