WANT TO BE BETTER PARENTS...

Good parenting helps foster empathy, honesty, self-reliance, self-control, kindness, cooperation, and cheerfulness. It also promotes intellectual curiosity, motivation, and desire to achieve. It helps protect children from developing anxiety, depression, eating disorders, anti-social behavior and alcohol and drug abuse. If you don't have a good relationship with your child, they're not going to listen to you.  So, open your eyes and observe and don’t allow problems with your child to fester and grow. Below are some guidelines for the purpose.

Develop a working relationship with teachers i.e. if there are any special concerns going on in your home, it would be wise to enlist your child’s teacher as your confidentially and gain her/his understanding. You can believe that most teachers would go the extra mile and extend to your child an open heart.

Work on social skills i.e. help your child be successful by preparing him not just academically, but also socially. Establish basic rules of conduct: no hitting, kicking, biting, spitting, (no hands allowed), and no hurting others through our words.

Help children become independent by teaching small things like pick out their clothing, dress themselves, put away their books and organizing themselves etc. Setting limits helps your child develop a sense of self-control.

Communicate with your child i.e. express your love every day, no matter how tough the day. Our love must be unconditional so that no matter how tough the topic, even if they messed up badly, they should never be afraid to speak with parents. 

What you do, matters- Your kids are watching you. Don't just react on the spur of the moment. Your most important disciplinary tool is consistency.

You cannot be too loving- It is simply not possible to spoil a child with love. It is usually the consequence of giving a child things in place of love -- things like leniency, lowered expectations, or material possessions.

Be involved in your child's life. It frequently means sacrificing what you want to do for what your child needs to do. Be there mentally as well as physically. Being involved does not mean doing a child's homework -- or reading it over or correcting it.

Treat your child with respect. The best way to get respectful treatment from your child is to treat him respectfully. Speak to him politely. Respect his opinion. Pay attention when he is speaking to you.

To have a good relationship, and being in tune with your child, is what really matters and is the secret of being good parents.

About the Author:

The Author is Ms. Ruchi Sinha, Educator, Meenakshi World School

www.meenakshiworldschool.com