Parenting in a modern age has become a test of multitasking, making sure your child is healthy, striking a balance between discipline and independence. It takes a village to raise a child, they say. Well, in today’s day, it takes a village and a whole lot of research on the internet, may we add. From making time for your children to maintaining schedules, a strong sense of discipline, and having clear communication, here are some effective and easy-to-implement tips that can help you in your parenting journey.
Kids since the time they are born idolize their parents and see the world through their eyes. They imbibe your quirks, the way you talk, the way you eat, and the way you express yourself are all being internalized by your children. This inevitably means that your kid’s biggest role model self-esteem by a lot. If you want parenting tips that will act as a tonic to make your life easy with your kids, just be supportive of them, you can affect their self-esteem more than anyone. Praise them, show up at their games, be the loudest cheerer in the room. Being over-critical of your kids can have devastating effects on their self-esteem. Be empathetic and understand that they are also figuring out their life and their role just like you are. A positive approach would be to have a dialogue with your children when their behavior is undesirable instead of resorting to insults directed at them that can seriously hurt their self-esteem.
It is quite easy to count the number of times we find ourselves chiding our kids for little things ever-day, but do we ever stop to think about the time or lack of it that we spend reacting positively to their actions? We often take our children’s good deeds for granted. While it may be true that celebrating every little thing can be a bit much, a good tip would be to acknowledge a good thing about your kids every day. If your kids finished all their homework on time or ate all their vegetables, praise them- ‘You finished your vegetables today, that’s great!’ Be generous with physical expressions of love-hugs, kisses, and caressing, they are only little for a little amount of time! The best parenting tips revolve around building this positive environment in your house that encourages and appreciates rather than discourages and under-appreciates!
Although we encourage love and affection above, it doesn’t go without saying that love and discipline are two sides of the same parenting coin. Discipline is a seminal quality in every household. Teaching children to regulate their own behavior and to understand the value of things is important. Disciplining need not always be harsh- try taking small steps as your children begin to grow. Start with regulating screen time and limiting access to TV. If you have multiple children at home, make sure that you absolutely discourage fights and hitting and making it punishable by choosing punishments that aren’t harsh but make them think about their actions. Establish consequences for actions, and be through with it. Children need to know that bad behavior will not be excused and that it does have undesirable events that follow them. Small things like finishing all their vegetables, eating healthy, finishing their daily glass of Complan without fail (although we assure that getting them to do that won’t be a fuss, as the delicious flavors speak for themselves!), going to bed on time and finishing their homework, etc, need to be followed consistently.
While we understand the tremendous pressure at work, and the stress that it brings, parents can have limited bandwidth when it comes to being present at all times. It will take a toll on your mental health to make enormous changes which is why the best parenting tips are those that advise you to make small changes for massive results. Have a meal with your kids, preferably breakfast, advocate for no phones at the dinner table, get to know how your children spent their day, and ask them insightful questions like-’What is a new thing you learned today at school?’ or, ‘How are your friends doing? Can we have a play-date soon?’, just taking out time to ask about their day or showing interest can go a long way towards building a better and a more healthy relationship with your kids. Planning your time also works, try taking 10-20 minutes out of your daily schedule and invest those minutes in actually talking or spending time with them, maybe a walk in the park, a little dance session to their favorite songs or simply doing their homework for them. You should not feel guilty for being a working parent and kids need to understand the important role that you’re fulfilling as a provider, therefore don’t feel bad if you missed a tuck-in at night because of that dreaded work call. Being available is not hard, it is not giving them 100% of your time, but being your 100% when you are with them!
At the end of the day, the relationship that you share with your kids is just like any other relationship in many ways. Prioritize communication, as it is the golden standard of any relationship. You can’t expect that your kids will maintain an immaculate record of honesty if you don’t provide them with a model or a channel of communication. When there is a serious event, maybe a fight at school or tantrum at the mall, don’t ice them out for them to realize their own mistakes. Have a healthy conversation, make your expectations clear, and patiently explain to them what went wrong and how they can work on it. Talk about your feelings regarding the event and clearly understand the motivations behind their actions. Spelling things out loud helps kids to understand that their home is a safe space and learning from their mistakes is not something that they should be scared about.
If you are a parent of multiple children and looking for parenting tips, the first thing that we need to understand is that all children are different. They come with their unique sense of behavioral quirks and habits, which makes flexible parenting styles the name of the game. This tip can also go for parents of a single child as more often than not, we try to idealize the parenting styles of others and are let down if we don’t get the same reactions from them as we expected. Understand that if your older kid responded positively to punishment and deadlines, your younger child may not. Spend time understanding their unique personalities. A suggestion for parents of multiple children would be to adopt a flexible parenting style that can be customized or changed according to situation or personality.
We often find ourselves falling for fads and trends that are touted as the ‘next best thing’ in parenting. Avoid falling for gimmicks and spend time researching healthy food, diets, and lifestyles. We often try to internalize whatever is ‘working’ and apply that to our households regardless of it being a seamless fit into our households or not. Take the no-dairy movement, for example, it doesn’t apply to everyone, milk has some essential vitamins and nutrients that are important for your child’s growth- make your milk more nutritious by adding a spoonful or two of Complan, and you can choose from a variety of flavors. If a healthy diet is trending, spend time researching it, understanding who it is designed for, try to relate your kid’s needs to the diet. One of the best parenting tips is that you make an informed decision and decide what’s best for you and your family!
We understand what it is like to shoulder the responsibility of a person and make constant efforts to make sure you’re giving them the best lifestyle, best clothes, best education, and the best environment for them to grow! It takes a village, and we’re glad we can be part of it!
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