10 ways to be a better parent!
10 ways to be a better parent!
Go back to basics and trust yourself – you know your child and his needs better than anyone. The true key to raising happy and healthy children and successful parenting in through the parent, not the children.
1. Take care of yourself
To be a good parent, you need to have the energy to take care of and spend time with your children. If you are always stressed and exhausted, you will be impatient, constantly making decisions based on how you are feeling, and not on what is best for your child.
2. Trust your gut
No one knows your child better than you do! Trust your own instincts about what is right for your child instead of imposing what others feel is best or what the “experts” say is right.
3. Be a role model
We are our children’s first teachers and their only examples on which to model their own behaviour. Parents teach children values by demonstrating honesty, humility, responsibility, respect for others and respect for themselves.
4. Listen!
Life is so busy, always on the run. Its easy to tune your child out because you have more important things to do. Children pick this up quickly and can translate it into “I’m not important enought to you”. It is important that you take the time to listen to your child and give them your full attention, even if you have to formalise this time with them.
5. Make an effort to understand your child
Never underestimate your child’s personality. His needs are unique because he has a unique personality. Take the time to find out what makes your child happy, what frustrates him, what his best times of the day are and what activities he enjoys most.
6. Discipline with love
All children need guidance and discipline, not as punishment, but to set boundaries. Children need to know what the expectations, limits and boundaries are in your family, and needs to understand the consequances of his actions. Have a good discipline policy, be consistent and stick to it.
7. Be realistic about your own abilities
You want to give your child the best in life, and the best of you, but sometimes it is not always possible. Parenting is not an exact science and you may be trying to live up an unattainable ideal of being the perfect parent. It is ok to make mistakes as a parent, and sometimes being a less than perfect parent can be a good thing.
8. Be realistic about your child’s abilities
Often our expectations of our children is simply too high because we are not sure of what they are capable of. Expecting too much from your child can damage his self-esteem. Know your child’s abilities and change your expectations of him accordingly. You will have a much happer, more cooperative child if he is only expected to master those skills that are suitable for his age group.
9. Let your child make mistakes
While you are right to prevent accidents that could cause harm to yor child, allowing him to learn from his own mistakes reinforces the lesson better than an explanation ever could. It is sometimes more emotionally healthy to let your child experience disappointment instead of shielding him from any and all negative events.
10. Do nothing
It is important not to lose sight of the fact that doing nothing is actually the one of the best things you can do for your child. Sometimes it is better to stop structuring our child’s time for every minute of the day, and just allow them to be. Young children do need supervision, but when left to their own devices, their identities emerge. They follow dreams and thoughts, activity is self-directed which in turn creates independance and initiative.
