Andie MacDowell's Tips for Blockbuster Parenting
Ever feel like your life is a movie ... on fast forward?! Or worse—Groundhog Day?! Between all the kids' stuff and all of your stuff and all the stuff you didn't plan on, life can get pretty hectic and mundane. Movie star mom-of-three Andie MacDowell has four blockbuster tips for making your big-screen lifestyle more of a family-friendly feature than a comedic farce.
1) Focus on the positive! I think a lot of great parenting has to do with your attitude. Instead of taking a negative approach and ragging on your kids, be positive and let them know you're on their side. Guide them to make choices, and every time they make a mistake, recognize it, but move on and help lead them to their highest potential without putting so much pressure on them.
2) Teach them independence. It sounds simple, but I took a parenting course and the teacher asked us, "What's the most important lesson to teach your kids?" People said "good morals, good manners, to be compassionate ..." but the teacher said the greatest gift is to teach them independence. I let my kids go and trust their ability to make decisions.
3) Set aside "unplugged" quality time with the kids. It's hard to get my kids together now because they're older, but we all spend Christmas in Montana. There's no television, no computer and cell phones don't work. So we play games, hike, go cross-country skiing, cook and talk. It's a full week of connection that we all look forward to.
4) And make time for yourself, too. I do a lot of yoga, walk and hike. I'm an avid hiker. I belong to a hiking club where we climb 40 peaks over 6,000 feet. My mentor in the hiking club is 82 years old! That's who I want to be when I get older.
report abuse2) Teach them independence. It sounds simple, but I took a parenting course and the teacher asked us, "What's the most important lesson to teach your kids?" People said "good morals, good manners, to be compassionate ..." but the teacher said the greatest gift is to teach them independence. I let my kids go and trust their ability to make decisions.
3) Set aside "unplugged" quality time with the kids. It's hard to get my kids together now because they're older, but we all spend Christmas in Montana. There's no television, no computer and cell phones don't work. So we play games, hike, go cross-country skiing, cook and talk. It's a full week of connection that we all look forward to.
4) And make time for yourself, too. I do a lot of yoga, walk and hike. I'm an avid hiker. I belong to a hiking club where we climb 40 peaks over 6,000 feet. My mentor in the hiking club is 82 years old! That's who I want to be when I get older.
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