There are shelves of books on parenting that can be found at your local library or bookstore. They are filled with suggestions and tips for parents from a variety of perspectives. It can be overwhelming to figure out which one is "right."

Ultimately, of course, you have to find the style and method that best fits you and your family. What helps you to create a safe and secure home for you and your family is an important part of parenting.

Below is an example of one of the methods available.

The RPM3 Method

The National Institute has created an informative booklet on effective parenting which you can download from their Web site. They use the RPM3 method which they describe as a "no-frills" approach to parenting.

RPM3 stands for:

• Responding to your child in an appropriate manner
  
• Preventing risky behavior or problems before they arise
  
• Monitoring your child's contact with his or her surrounding world
  
• Mentoring your child to support and encourage desired behaviors
  
• Modeling your own behavior to provide a consistent and positive example for your child

RPM3 is not a how-to manual telling parents what they should do. These are guidelines that parents can use to make decisions in different situations.

At first glance, some of the RPM3 concepts might seem obvious. But there's more to RPM3 than meets the eye.

For example, responding to a child isn't the same as reacting. Reacting is answering with the first word, feeling, or action that comes to mind – a normal thing to do, especially with all the other things you do every day. Responding to your child means taking a moment to think about what is really going on before you say or do something. This time will help you choose the best way to obtain the outcome you want from the situation you are in.