Adventures in Parenting encourages parents to use the RPM3 method - a "no-frills" approach to parenting. This information can help you to shape your own parenting practices. 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 when different situations arise.
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. That time will help you choose the best way to get from the current situation to the outcome you want in the long-run.
To help parents apply these concepts, the booklet also provides examples of how some parents have used RPM3 with children in three age groups: three and under, between the ages of four and ten, and between eleven and fourteen. The examples are intended to help you learn what you need and adapt it to your life with your children.
If you have a gifted child or a child with a disability or other special needs, RPM3 can be useful too. All children can benefit from good parenting practices, regardless of family circumstances, family size, living arrangement, and economic status.
