Compass, a handbook on parents leadership by James Stenson. Quotes XII

-Children do have rights:
1. Right to privacy up to a point.
2. Right to presumption of innocence.
3. Right not to be publicly embarrassed.
4. Right to just punishment.
5. Right to a second chance.
-Never, ever, undercut you spouse if it was he or she who witnessed things. If you think your spouse is mistaken or over reactive, then discuss matters privately.
-The family is one place in the world where we can always count on a fresh start.
-When you apologize, you teach them a valuable lesson: that you put justice ahead of your ego.
-What you are really teaching your children is ethical conduct among responsible adults. You are treating your children as young adults in the making, and you begin by respecting them as people.
-Don't neglect your wife. Wake up. Pay attention. Listen to her carefully.
-Don't undercut your husband. Do all you can to lead your children to respect their father and his authority.
-Don't underestimate your children. Have high ambitions for their swift growth into maturity.
-Don't treat teenagers like large children. Tell them that you distinguish between integrity and judgment.
-Don't ever tell your teens that the high-school years are the best part of their lives.
-Don't let your kids weasel out of commitments.
-Don't ask children if they would like to do something that you expect them to do anyway.
-When you are correcting your kids and they ask why, don't argue with them. If they are looking for an explanation, give it once only. If they persist with why? then they are looking for an argument, not an explanation.
-Don't let your kids dress in such a way as to bring shame to the family.
-Don't miss small opportunities to talk with your children.
-Don't shout at your kids all the time.
-Don't get trapped into prolonged blazing arguments. On  those rare occasions where the kids do something truly outrageous, they should experience outrage. Otherwise they won't know what's outrageous.
-Don't forget to praise your children, and be specific about it.
-Come down to your children's level, but don't stay there.
-Don't worry so much about trivia.
-Confidence in their parent's control forms the basis for their own growth in self-confidence.
-In those families where parents win out as boss, by the time kids are five, they years of adolescence are relatively untroubled.
-The why of correction is more important than the how.