Kayla Owens
Michael Hedges
English 101

Rhetorical Mode Essay
From the day they are born up until adulthood, children depend on their parents for guidance as they grow and learn. They watch and listen to their mother and father’s examples and explanations throughout life, taking in every action and word. The knowledge that the child retains through this process, along with the morals that are instilled in them by their parents are what shape them into the people that they become. We all learn by the examples that are set for us. When we start families of our own, it is then our job to guide our children through life, just as our parents did for us. Some say that parenting comes natural, but for the majority, myself included, the way we were raised by our parents depicts the way we raise our children.
It has been almost three years since the day I gave birth to my son. When I became a mother for the first time, most of the things I knew about parenting were things that I had learned from my mom. Watching my mother raise my little brother and I, without much help from our fathers, taught me a lot about parenting. She constantly reminded us of how important it was to make time for and cherish the ones you love. Everyday my mother would designate one-on-one time for at least thirty minutes to both my brother and I. During this time, all electronics were turned off, and our full attention was on each other. I can remember being a teenager and dreading those thirty minutes, but as I look back now I realize how important that time was for our relationship. This is one of the many things that I remember doing with my mom that really stuck with me. I make it a point to set aside time for my son to have my undivided attention every day. The time we spent together every day had such a positive effect on the relationship between me and my mother, and is now having the same effect on the bond between me and my son.
Discipline is one of the most difficult things to conquer as a parent. There are so many different methods that can be used to discipline children when they misbehave. Some children respond well to time-out, while others it doesn’t even phase. The same goes for spanking, taking away toys, and so on. My mother never had a problem disciplining my brother and I,