5. ALLOW YOUR CHILDREN TO HAVE HEARTACHE AND SETBACKS.
When my #3 was in 2nd grade, he has some serious problems with his teacher and his classmates. He cried everyday, and he even ran home during the middle of school a few times. He was miserable. I was made at his teacher for letting this happen. I went in to talk to the principal. I was ready to demand he switch classes, or even pull him out of school all together. Thank goodness the principal was a wise man. He told me that my child will have to deal with/work with lots people throughout his life, and he's not always going to get along with everyone. He suggested I use this situation as a teaching moment. AH HA!
"Help your children to see that they can develop creative solutions for their problems instead of ignoring or avoiding them (or pulling them out of them). Good parenting sometimes means allowing our children to fail and deal with some heartbreaking experiences."
It breaks my heart to see my kids have to go through heartaches, but I try to step back and let them work it by themselves. Of course, I'm always there for them if they want to talk, get advice, etc.
President Monson reminds us that, "life was never intended to consist of a glut of luxury, be an easy course, or filled only with success. There are those games which we finish last, and those promotions which never come. Such experiences provide an opportunity for us to show our determination and to rise above disappointment."
And yes, I kept #3 in his class and he learned to work through it and hasn't had any problems with teachers/classmates since.