We all know how tough parenting can be, especially when you have two or three children of varying ages and, much like most things, you can always become a better parent if you desire. If our parenting skills are honed, this will benefit our children in so many ways and with that in mind, here is our guide to becoming a better parent.
Spending time with your kids
Only you know if you are devoting enough time to your children, and it is very easy to overlook this, especially if your job is time-consuming. Do you make the effort to attend then they perform at school? Are you able to watch when your son plays soccer? We know how much importance children place when they are doing something special and if you can’t be there to cheer them on, it can be deflating for the child, especially when they see other parents in attendance.
Joint activities
If you get involved with your kids, you will also benefit, as this strengthens your bond and by joining a local after school care fitness program, you can both spend time doing fun stuff. If you play a sport, take your kids along and let them experience every aspect of play and should they show an interest in a sport or outdoor activity, you should support this. Regardless of their ages, you can connect with your children on many different levels and introducing new things is an integral part of being a good parent.
The importance of self-learning
If you can nurture a love of learning in your kids, this will stay with them forever and will prove to be invaluable for their future. Sit down with your son or daughter and decide on a question that you both would like answered, then show them how to use Google and search through the information to find the answer. If you are enthusiastic about learning new things, this will be reflected in your child’s response and rather than telling our kids what to do, we should model the desired behaviour. Click here for tips about online protection for your children.
Being a good role model
Of course, this is what every parent should be striving for, and we should all try to model the behaviour we expect from our kids. If you speak softly and politely, this will rub off on tour children and don’t think that being patient in traffic doesn’t get noticed, it does! If you were to ask an expert, they would tell you that being a good role model is the best way to modify and guide a child’s behaviour and like it or not, kids do notice everything.
Giving responsibility
As your child grows, they obviously mature; some quicker than others and it can be hard for a parent to allow their child to be more independent. Rather than doing everything for your child, we, as parents, have a duty to make our kids self-sufficient as soon as possible and by carefully selecting tasks they can do, you will nurture a sense of responsibility.
How do you respond?
When your patience is tested, are you able to keep things calm? We can drift away to become someone who is always critical, without really knowing it; you could ask your partner if they think you respond well with the kids and generally review your reaction and response to minor issues. If, for example, you have had a bad day at work, make the effort to leave that stress at the office and try to be upbeat and enthusiastic and this will have a beneficial effect on you and your kids.
One great idea is to attend school programs when they host parental workshops, as these give you many ideas, while also introducing specific techniques that encourage the children to become more independent. You might not be familiar with the active learning strategies that most schools use today and attending a parent-teacher meeting will help you to gain a deeper understanding of the learning process and how it can be optimised.
There’s a lot to take onboard when you become a parent and here is some government information on parenting, which every mum and dad should read.
