FACETS OF PARENTING

Parenting

Well, parenting is a job that does’nt come with salary, sick days and vacation time. It is usually seen that kids dawdle when parents are in a rush or are busy completing a task. After an exhausting day when one simply wants a moment of quiet, kids will shriek, make annoying sounds, fight with siblings, for no reason other than to disrupt peace. Developmental psychologists are of the opinion that discipline is an important ingredient in optimal parenting. But unfortunately it is observed that discipline is confused with punishment( physical or verbal) that leaves impending scars in the young minds.

Many theorists are also of the opinion that the experiences over the first few years of a child’s life, lay the foundation on which the rest of the development depends. Thus it becomes the sole responsibility of the parents to provide a warm, loving & a child-friendly environment which would stimulate future potentials in the child. Parents often feel guilty about not spending enough time with their kids or remain overwhelmed by trying to balance working while raising kids. Well, no one is a born parent, thus mistakes are inevitable. So at times it is simply OK to admit that you are burnt out as a parent.

The everchanging world of technology & gadgets that kids have access to, seem downright terrifying for many parents today. Thus parents need to be tech savvy, so as to keep their kids safe, while still allowing them to embrace the technology as the time demands. It is to be kept in mind that due to immaturity & inexperience, children, especially teenagers have impulse control issues and they will have the tendency to venture out to unknown situations which might put them to trouble. In this fast changing world of technology, parents need to have discussions regarding ‘Cyber Safety’ & ‘Cyber Security’ with their kids, keeping in mind their age factor. They also need to monitor the activities of their kids in this regard, without being too interfering. Kids are more in favour of ‘involved parents’
rather than ‘ intervening ones’.

LETS SIMPLIFY SOME COMPLICATIONS !

❖ Teach your kids to be aware of what’s right & what’s wrong.
❖ Show them how to be gentle & when to be strong.
❖ Praise & encourage them everytime they deserve it, as it would strengthen their spirit.
❖ Show respect to their feelings & thoughts & next time it will be mutual.
❖ Stop trying to perfect your child, instead keep trying to perfect your relationship with him/her.
❖ Each child is born unique, so there can’t be a “One Blanket Approach” in parenting.
❖ Remember, a single NO from you, can put the child off balance when you tend to fulfill all their wishes & demands. So some wishes or demands need to be unheard.

❖ Seize every available moment to connect with your kids.
❖ Sometimes ‘SILENCE’ is the buzzword in parenting. It speaks louder than words.
❖ Take ‘time out’ from being a parent. Do something that would simply make you happy as a
person or as a couple. Focusing on your needs, does not necessarily make you selfish. It is rather
an important value to model before your children.
❖ While you are working hard to be a perfect parent, do not be dismayed if you find yourself
straying off the path. Parents are human after all.
❖ Parents need not enter into the popularity contest to bag the ‘Best Dad’ or “Best Mom’ award.
They must have the courage to call a spade, a spade.

Offer a sincere & heartfelt parental apology when you make a mistake. That’s the best real life example to teach humility to your kids

❖ Distraction is a quick & easy homemade remedy to discipline your child, as you don’t have to win a moral victory, every time they misbehave.
❖ We all know that carbon & diamond are different expressions of the same potential. Children growing up with negative thoughts & actions remain carbon, whereas those growing with positive ones will shine like a diamond. So try not to be judgmental about their actions but rather teach them self-regulation.

DO YOU WANT TO KNOW THE FOLLOWING?

➢ Some real reasons- ‘Why your kids don’t listen to you always’.
➢ A Parenting checklist.
➢ KEEP A CHECK ON OUR BLOG POSTS…
➢ Let us remind ourselves that sometimes life’s biggest blessing comes in smallest packages.

We don’t really understand human nature unless we know why on a merry-go-round a child will always wave at his parents every time around & why his parents will always wave back.

Thank you Readers…
ANAMIKA SEN
(SCHOOL COUNSELLOR)