Parenting is hugely fulfilling yet also challenging. Putting a child’s future and life in your hands can be a lot to imagine. It means more effort and sacrifice to put your children first. Then, in between those long hours of work is another part of parenting: raising the child and fostering values for them to bring as they become adults. Ultimately, every parent always dreams of a child that’s not only successful in their chosen path but also kind, compassionate, loving, and all other things positive.
While there’s no hard-and-fast rule to parenting, there are do’s and don’ts that can give you a sense of direction. Ultimately, it’s up to you to balance out those do’s and don’ts with your circumstances, as no two children are a hundred percent alike – not even siblings.
That said, this article gives two positive habits to keep and two negative ones to kick, so you can discipline your kids the right way and raise them in a good environment, all while maintaining that close bond as being your child’s first best friend.
The Do’s
Here are two positive habits to keep in mind while parenting, fostering a healthy environment and maintaining a close bond with your child:
1. Do Read Through Reputable Sources
Parenting isn’t an easy feat. It takes several undertakings to raise a child, and lucky for those with a physical partner: their parents, in-laws, siblings, relatives, trusted colleagues, and friends. Others don’t have someone to help them, but this doesn’t mean an absence of resources.
If you belong to the latter, it may feel lonely. Still, there’s always another way to at least have answers to your questions: by reading top-rated, trusted, and reputable blogs, like Twin Cities Kids Club MN, among others, written by parents who are there to give you all the advice you need.
In those blogs, you don’t just have content to go through. Some even go as far as allowing you to join open conversations and forums or to reach out through their ‘contact us’ section. So, even in the absence of someone, you’ve still got others to reach out to when you need them.
2. Do Model The Kind Of Person You Wish Your Child To Be
Parents set many ground rules in their household as a part of discipline. But, those rules can be extra challenging to follow and obey when the parents don’t model them. For example, you tell your child to be respectful to others and that cursing is bad. But, you blurt out curse words yourself. Or that screen time is limited for your child. However, you’re constantly on your phone.
Make it a point to model the person you wish your child to be. Don’t merely set the rules or dictate this. Show concern for others and shower your environment with love; chances are, your child will follow this same example, too, even when they no longer live under your roof.
The Don’ts
Avoid these two common pitfalls in parenting that can hinder your child’s growth and well-being, ensuring a healthier approach to raising them:
1. Don’t Be A Micromanager
Many parents tend to adhere to the helicopter parenting philosophy, which means that they, as the caregiver, pay too close attention to their child’s experiences and problems, whether in their personal life at home or their social interactions at school and with friends. Nothing is wrong with this until it crosses the limit of too much.
Don’t be that parent that controls every facet of your child’s life or becomes a micromanager. Ease up as much as possible and let go of control when possible. It’s okay to let children do things independently or learn to solve problems alone, as this also builds up their confidence in the long run.
Don’t be a micromanager. Instead of helping build up your child, constant intervention prevents them from learning.
2. Don’t Overdo The Praises
It’s good to praise your child and say you’re proud of them, at least occasionally. Doing so gives them the much-needed confidence to survive the cruel and challenging world of adulthood.
Overdoing the praises, however, is as unhealthy as it is also to deprive them of such. When you give out compliments too much, it becomes less sincere. And the tendency with that is it creates unnecessary pressure on the child to live up to those high standards of greatness you’ve made the ‘norm’ by giving praises daily.
Reserve the praises for when they’re absolutely deserved such. For instance, your child shouldn’t get that for making their bed. Doing chores is expected of them. On the other hand, they deserve praise for standing up against a bullied friend or for doing well in school.
Key Takeaway
In the unpredictable world of parenting, rules are elusive. At its best, articles like this should only serve as a guide, creating a sense of direction for parents who need help knowing where to start. After all, every day through this parenting journey is filled with many decisions, from the major to the smallest. You have four now to back you up. Apply these while discovering how best to go about with your child and your situation. Lastly, don’t forget to enjoy yourself. It is your season of parenting now. Hard as it is, but it sure will fly by. Next thing you know, you’ll have adult kids ready to leave home, but even then, you’ll realize parenting never stops.
