Being a parent can be one of the most rewarding and fulfilling experiences of your life, but that doesn't mean it's easy. No matter what age your child/children is/are, your work is never done. To be a good parent, you need to know how to make your children feel valued and loved, while teaching them the difference between right and wrong. At the end of the day, the most important thing is to create a nurturing environment where your children feel like they can thrive and develop into confident, independent, and caring adults.

Below are tips on how to be a good parent;

1. Give your child love and affection. Sometimes the best thing you can give your child is love and affection. A warm touch or a caring hug can let your child know how much you really care about him or her. Don't ever overlook how important a physical connection is when it comes to your child. Here are some ways to show love and affection:

2. Listen to your children. It's important that your communication with your children goes both ways. You shouldn't just be there to enforce rules, but to listen to your children when they are having a problem. You have to be able to express interest in your children and involve yourself in their life.

3. Avoid comparing your children to others, especially siblings. Each child is individual and unique. Celebrate their differences and instill in each child the desire to pursue their interests and dreams. Failure to do so may give your child an inferiority complex, an idea that they can never be good enough in your eyes.

4. Make time for your children. Be careful not to stifle or smother them, however. There's a big difference between protecting someone and imprisoning them within your too unyielding demands. You want them to feel like your time together is sacred and special without making them feel like they are forced to spend time with you.

5. Enforce reasonable rules. Enforce rules that apply to every person leading a happy and productive life — not model rules of your ideal person. It's important to set rules and guidelines that help your child develop and grow without being so strict that your child feels like he can't take a step without doing something wrong.

6. Teach your children to be independent. Teach your children that it is okay for them to be different, and they do not have to follow the crowd. Teach them right from wrong when they are young, and they will (more often than not) be able to make their own decisions, instead of listening to or following others.
7. Be a good role model. If you want your child to be well-behaved, then you should model the behavior and character you hope your children will adopt and continue to live by the rules that you set.
8. Respect your child's privacy. Respect their privacy as you would want them to respect yours; for example, if you teach your child that your room is out of boundaries to them, respect the same with their room. Allow them to feel that once they enter their room they can know that no one will look through their drawers, or read their diary. This will teach them to honor their own space and to respect the privacy of others.

9. Let your children make their own mistakes. Life is a great teacher. Don't be too quick to rescue your child from the results of their own actions if the consequences are not overly severe. For example, cutting themselves (in a minor way) may hurt, but it's better than leaving them unaware of why sharp objects should be avoided.

10. Allow your kids to experience life for themselves. Don't make decisions for them all the time; they must learn how to live with the consequences from the choices they make. After all, they will have to learn to think for themselves sometime. It's best they start when you are there to help minimize the negative consequences and accentuate the positive ones.

IMPORTANT: Do not share your own past misbehavior with your children because they will compare themselves to you and thus, expect less from themselves. "So! You were like that too". Don't live your life through them. Let them make their own choices and live their life how they want to.


Source: https://www.facebook.com/forum9ja/posts/951518478243286

nice

Nice

argon500:


5. Enforce reasonable rules. Enforce rules that apply to every person leading a happy and productive life — not model rules of your ideal person. It's important to set rules and guidelines that help your child develop and grow without being so strict that your child feels like he can't take a step without doing something wrong.

Source: https://www.facebook.com/forum9ja/posts/951518478243286

Wonderful peace!

Now let us elaborate on "rules that apply to every person leading a happy and productive life" and distinguish them from one's "rules of an ideal person".