Parenting Perspectives – Things I’ve Learned

Posted on the 18 April 2013 by Vidyasury @vidyasury

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

Privy Trifles’s blog 
Priyanka Dey’s blog