Parenting is so far from a walk in the park.
It is one of the most gruelling jobs on the planet, and anyone who tries to tell you otherwise is either not a parent or they are a bold-faced liar.
Sure, it is also one of the most fulfilling roles once you’re comfortable in it – but until that time, it is a terrifying journey of anxiety, insecurity, and living on sheer hope. Hope that you’re doing the right thing, hope that you’re enough, and so much hope that your kid will grow up to be a well-adjusted human.
If you want to improve your parenting skills and create an inspiring relationship with your little ones – you’ve come to the right place. Parenting is hard, but these five tips below can make things a lot easier for everyone involved:
1. Learn To Listen
There is a reason why babies are easier to manage than toddlers. Yes, they are needy and helpless, which is why they have you. You feed, nurse, cuddle, and clean them. It’s a pretty straightforward process.
At times it can be difficult because babies can’t speak, so they can’t tell you why they’re upset when they’re hurt, or why they have been crying for four hours straight, but they are relatively easier to parent.
Toddlers have big feelings in little bodies; and they need you to listen. Being present makes all the difference when you’re little and yearn to feel seen and heard. Learn to listen, and you will instantly boost their self-esteem and independence at the same time.
2. Lower Your Expectations
When you become a parent, you generally gravitate toward other parents – which is normal and recommended. You can bounce ideas off each other and share the load – it does take a village. What you should never do, is compare your child to anyone else.
Your child needs to feel safe and comfortable in their home and their skin, and projecting high expectations onto them does not help. Comparison is particularly dangerous among siblings because it leads to labels.
Your child is unique and should always get treated as such.
3. Understand Their Personality
As a parent, you spend the most time with your child. You learn to recognize the early signs of personality development within the first few months of being born, so by the time they hit the age of 5, their personality is bursting out of them.
Learn to understand your child’s personality and adjust your parenting style to suit their needs. That doesn’t mean you need to walk on eggshells around your little one, it just means that children with the least common personality types will need a better understanding than a typical kid. There are plenty of online resources to help you discover your child’s personality type, and they are more useful than most people realize.
4. Be Patient
Little people need lots of patience. That is the number one rule of being a better parent.
Raising a child is all about helping them grow, nurturing them, and providing them with a safe and loving space to call home. Let your child make mistakes, be patient, and never try to micro-manage every aspect of their day.
5. Be Flexible
No one is an exact expert at parenting because parenting is an ever-evolving practice. Don’t feel bad if you don’t know everything, never be afraid to ask questions or for help, and stay flexible. Some approaches that work for one child won’t necessarily have the same success rate with another; that is perfectly normal.
Take time to breathe and know your own limitations. That is the only way you can adjust them according to your needs and the needs of your little one. Lastly, always remember that you are not in this alone – that’s what friends and family are for!
