I wish I had the information about positive parenting 9 years ago.

I’m certain I would have been a more patient and encouraging parent. But you can’t turn back the clock. Everything happens for a reason and even this kaupapa couldn’t have happened any other way.

The new laws that made parents more aware about hitting their kids have only been out there for about 8 years. So it’s not that old. Before then everyone was smacking their kids. It was the culture of the day.

So fast forward today.

Thanks to that law change there’s been an explosion of information and support for whānau to practice positive parenting without hitting, but that still doesn’t stop me from wishing I had this info when I became a dad. If only I had a chance to practice what I know now when they were smaller how different would things have been?

Never mind. I’ll have to wait till I get another chance in the future, until then I still have two 9 year olds I need to take care of and practice being a good daddy with every day.

I suppose no amount of information will help unless it’s followed up by action and practice.

I guess it had to happen this way. 9 years ago I wasn’t in a position to practice with my girls. I think I was in survival mode and really wasn’t in any position to practice. Maybe that’s the reason why I wrote this, to put the past behind me and move forward.

In the words of Kīngi Tawhiao.

“Kia niwha te ngākau ki ngā mahi atawhai i te iwi” (Be resolute and stout of heart in the looking after the people)

We can’t change the past but we can influence the present and change the future.

Mauri ora