Do you have trouble taking care of your kids? If so, this article will show you how to be a good parent and help your child grow. The following six actions will help you be a good parent:
1. Boosting Your Child's Self-Esteem
When babies look at themselves through their parents' eyes, they start to understand who they are. Your kids pick up on everything you say, do, and say with your body language and tone of voice. More than anything else, what you say and do as a parent affects how your self-esteem grows.
Praise, even for small things, will make them feel proud, and letting them do things on their own will make them feel strong and capable. On the other hand, kids will feel worthless if people make comments that put them down or compare them to other kids in a bad way.
Avoid using language as a weapon or making statements with subliminal connotations. Just as hurtful as physical punches are remarks like, "What a stupid child you are!"
Be considerate and watchful of the language you use. Inform your children that everyone makes errors and that you still love them even when you don't agree with their behaviour.
2. Show That Your Love Is Unconditional
As a parent, it's your job to teach and correct your children. But how you tell a child that they did something wrong makes all the difference in how they take it.
When you have to talk to your child about something, don't blame, criticise, or look for faults. This can hurt their self-esteem and make them angry. Instead, even when you are punishing your kids, try to care for and encourage them. Make sure they know that you love them no matter what, even though you want and expect better next time.
3. Establish boundaries and apply your discipline consistently
Every home needs rules and regulations. The point of discipline is to help kids choose good things to do and learn to be in charge of themselves. They may try to break the rules you set for them, but they need rules to become responsible adults.
Having house rules helps kids learn what you expect of them and how to control your feelings. Some rules could be that you can't watch TV until your homework is done and that you can't hit, call names, or tease in a hurtful way.
You might want to establish a system that includes a warning, followed by a "time out" or the removal of privileges. Parents frequently commit the error of not enforcing their decisions. You can't tell kids off one day for talking back and then do nothing the next. When you are consistent, you show what you expect.
4. Make Communication a Priority
You can't expect your children to do everything just because you want them to "say so. "As much as adults do, they want and need to know what's going on. If we don't take the time to explain, kids will start to wonder what our values and goals are and if they make sense. Parents who talk things over with their kids help them understand and learn without making them feel bad.
Make it clear what you want. If there is an issue, discuss it, express your feelings, and enlist your child's assistance in finding a solution. Include consequences if you can. Provide options and suggestions. Pay attention to your child's input as well. When kids help make decisions, they are more likely to follow through on them.
5. Make Time for Your Kids
Parents and kids don't always have time to sit down together for a meal, let alone spend quality time together. But I don't think kids would like anything more. Get up 10 minutes earlier so you may share breakfast with your child in the morning, or after supper, leave the dishes in the sink and go for a stroll. When kids don't get the attention they want from their parents, they often act out or do something bad to get attention.
Many parents enjoy making plans to spend time with their children. Set aside one "special night" a week to spend time together, and let your kids help you decide what to do. You can experiment with finding other ways to connect with your child, like putting a note or something special in their lunchbox.
Teenagers don't seem to need their parents' full attention as much as younger kids do. Parents and teens don't have as much time to spend together as they used to, so parents should do their best to be there when their teen wants to talk or join in on family activities. Going to concerts, games, and other events with your teen shows that you care for them. It allows you to learn vital things about your child and his or her friends.
If you're a parent who works, don't feel bad about it. Kids will remember the little things you do, like making popcorn, playing cards, and window shopping.
6. Catch Kids Being Good
Do you ever think about how often you say or do something bad to your kids a day? You may find that you criticise a lot more than you praise. How would you feel if your boss gave you that much bad advice, even if it was meant to be helpful?
The best way to get kids to do something right is to catch them doing it: "You made your bed without being told to! That's great!" "I saw you are playing with your sister, and I thought you were very patient." In the long run, these statements will do more to encourage good behaviour than yelling at someone over and over again.
Every day, make it a point to find something to praise. Give out lots of rewards. Your love, hugs, and compliments can do wonders and are often enough of a reward. Soon, you'll start to "grow" more of the behaviour you want to see.
Bottom line
Your child may go to school and learn new things there, but you will be the best teacher. Being a good parent can be hard because you have to work at it every day, but the results will always show that the work was worth it!
