MANILA, Philippines ? After my children were featured on ?Moments? (a talk show for mothers on Net 25 hosted by Gladys Reyes), I was flattered when a few parents asked for my advice. Their interest was piqued by the television show?s feature on the role of music education and community support in parenting, and they asked me to share my ?parenting formula.?

Not wanting to disappoint the inquiring parents but also concerned about coming across as a know-it-all parenting expert (which I am most definitely not), I shared with them my belief that there are no set-in-stone parenting rules which are, at the most, meant to serve merely as guides. Setting rules for your children without being too rigid is a tough challenge, I explained, so try to be flexible and adapt your parenting style to a particular situation.

What I did share with these well-meaning parents was a set of guidelines I asked my five children to follow -- guidelines I also would like to share with readers. To make the guidelines easier to remember, I devised the acronym PEBEFMARCH. It?s a bit of a tongue twister but it works for my children.

Guidelines

P - Prayers in the morning after you wake up.

E - Eat healthy. Start the day with healthy breakfast. Avoid junk food.

B - Best self to the world. Be well-groomed and dress appropriately, maintain proper posture, be attentive and always respect your elders (use ?po? and ?opo,? practice ?pagmamano?).

E - Exercise at least 20 minutes a day. Or take up sports and practice for an hour daily.

F - Fix your things and finish your household chores.

M - Music. Practice your musical instrument for at least 30 minutes a day. Listen
to your CDs.

A - Affirm and build up yourself and others around you. Never use the word ?loser,? always use ?winner? no matter how simple your and others? successes may be.

R - Read at least a chapter of a book a day.

C- Commit to excellence by setting a goal and diligently taking small steps to achieve it.

H- Healthy and happy living. Pray together before retiring and sleep by 10 p.m.

As parents, we all want the best for our children. We want them to know and do the right thing. Raising our kids so that they can become the best that they can be requires us to lead by example. I think this is the winning parenting formula.

Christine Liwanag is secretary of the Philippine Suzuki Association, a non-profit organization dedicated to music education of young children. Join the 2009 Summer Suzuki Violin and Cello Camp and Teacher Training on May 24-28 at Greenhills Music Studio (GMS), 285 Connecticut St. cor. Missouri St., Greenhills East, Mandaluyong City.

The culminating concert for all participants will be held May 28, 5:30 p.m., at Shangri-La Plaza Mall. For inquiries, contact GMS at 7240705, 7242543, 0922-8375454.