Is your kid keep saying be a cool parent? Baby birth automatically invites advice from all quadrants – the wise, the experts, the accomplished, the newbies and even the inexperienced. So, parenting becomes dramatically confusing. While perfect parenting is a myth, it isn’t too difficult to raise happy, radiant, stable and blessed kids. We have spent some time to scoop things that really matter. So, if you are ready to step up your parenting skills, and be awesome parents read on:
10 Ways to Be Awesome Parents
Be a Yes parent:
Don’t climb the tree, you will fall. Don’t go in the tunnel, you will get hurt. Don’t drink on the sofa, you will spill the juice. The possibilities of negative repercussions are instilled so strongly in a growing child that he fears taking on any new challenge all his life. An awesome parent is a yes parent. Climb carefully, it’s a little steep. Watch your head, the ceiling is low. Hold the glass tight, the sofa is bouncy. An awesome parent negates all negativity.
Choose happiness:
The parenting chaos can take over a peaceful life. The never-ending warnings, punishments and negative reinforcements can pull all energy down. Take it easy. It’s okay to lose the battles with the little one. Let him starve if he wants to. Let him play messy. Let him wear night suits during the day. Take a hard stand only when it matters – no foul language and no indecent behaviour. Rest is too petty to lose your mind over. Awesome parents always wear a pleasant face.
Be a little old school:
Parents in the olden days had no screens and that was a boon by all means. Don’t reach out for your phone to teach the ABCs, to distract him, to stop his crying or to keep him occupied. Its the easy way out. Use the chalkboard, take him for a stroll and let nature amaze him. The lakes, the gardens and the backyards work better than the TVs, the tabs and the phones. An awesome parent pretends to be an 80s parent. To read more on children and screens check out Is your summer going to be the setting for the battle of the Screen Time?
Go the DIY way:
There will be a time when your child’s sense of independence will take over. He would want to pick your expensive crockery and set the dinner table. He would want to juice the fruits to make a smoothie. He would want to select his own clothes. Will he break the plates, create a mess or look bizarre with unrelated clothing pairs? May be. But there is no better way to learn. He will process the cause and the consequences very well to never do the same mistakes again. Awesome parents let the child be.
Celebrate the now:
There is plenty on your plate and the house is almost always a mess. You won’t remember the last time you had a head bath and there is no time to look the mirror. There are too many things past their deadline. However, your child just scribbled her first word or she just wheeled the tricycle on her own. Did you forget to acknowledge and tell her how proud you felt? Live the tiny moments. They will be gone before you know. Awesome parents believe in little joys.
Don’t go the extra mile:
There are times when the child is running an obstacle race in real life and all we do is, ask him to rest while we run the stretch for him. He probably did not need it. How about just two things – ‘c’mon you can do it’ and ‘wonderful, you just did it’. All he needs is a dose of encouragement and motivation. No matter how little, children have a mind of their own. Let them figure their own way. An awesome parents won’t overdo when little will do.
Gift your time:
The branded clothes you buy or the toys you pile up in his room will not matter as much as the time you spend with him. Don’t wait for the weekend. Set a routine that includes your together time. Wake up early so that you don’t brush him aside in a hurry to reach office on time. Don’t sleep without a few minutes of bed time stories. Don’t let any excuse eat into your time with him. An awesome parent will be there for the child, even if it is just dedicated twenty minutes each day. For more tips read The Importance Of Making Eye Contact With Your Children
Practice before your preach:
If you say hitting is bad and you spank too often, your words are meaningless. If you want your child to socialise, you must learn to exchange hellos and spark conversations in his presence. If you are cold in your interactions, he will mirror you. And that goes for even little things that go around. Did you break the signal in his presence? Did you apologise for bad behaviour? Monkeys see, monkeys do. Take a honest look at who you are and change your own way of living before you expect your kids to. An awesome parent syncs words with his actions.
Work as a team:
The couple must agree on what is acceptable and what is not. If you defer, it can send out confusing signals. Why does mommy say no screen time when daddy lends a phone so often? Even the extended family and care takers must acknowledge and respect the rules. Why daddy says no candies when granny feeds a mouthful everyday? Make sure everyone speaks the same language and recites the same rules. An awesome parent creates a coherent circle of influence.
Accept your limitations:
Parenting can be overwhelming. There so many rules, dos and donts. It is easy to cross the line and do it all wrong, every once in a while. Forgive yourself. Don’t let the guilt take over. It’s okay to feed junk at times. It is okay to ask for alone time. It is perfectly okay to cry out aloud. Don’t try too hard to do it all right. Don’t walk a thin rope and risk falling over. An awesome parent is not a perfect parent. For more on this topic check out 4 Tips On How Mothers Can Deal With Guilt.
Don’t rank or grade yourself on this ten point scale. Nobody got it all right and there are no perfect parenting awards being given away. Practice few at a time and get there one day.
