It is Day 16 of the #AtoZChallenge and it is P for Parenting Perspectives. When I first realized I was expecting a baby, I was nervous about whether I would make a good mother. Like everyone else, I read books, explored parenting perspectives, tips and of course, received a lot of it – solicited and unsolicited.
Then, at one point, I realized that experience is a great teacher as far as parenting is concerned, just like any other role or aspect of life. And my Mother advised me to take a day at a time, think positive and simply enjoy what life brought along. That’s what I did. Most of the time. Of course I got all worked up but by and large, when I reflect, I think I have been singularly lucky to learn a lot.
Some parenting perspectives
Some of the things I’ve learned – sometimes the hard way, sometimes easily are these:
- do more things with kids than for them
- if you want happy, resilient kids you go first
- raise your small family with a big family mindset
- make the most of the opportunity years (before teens)
- work on your relationships as they give you leverage
- expect kids to behave well
- catch kids being resilient and persistent
- attend to your kids’ mental health
- don’t be a family that’s always on the go
- make sure kids help at home without being paid
- build scaffolds to independence
- reward responsibility with greater freedom
- build self-knowledge in kids
- move kids down the road from ‘me’ to ‘we’
- teach your kids to do what’s right, not what’s easy
- strengthen your family by creating a strong food culture
- create a culture where there’s nothing so bad that ‘we’ can’t talk about it
- parent from the same script, even if you’re not together
- do things with your kids
- don’t let kids drop out of the family
- connect with other parents
- every child needs someone in their life who says you can do this
- make the most of teachable moments
- avoid your first impulse when kids misbehave
- build a strong family brand
Michael Grose’s Parenting Ideas and Information is a great resource for parenting perspectives.
Today, I recommend
