No one is a ‘perfect parent’ so don’t try to be, we are all too human to reach such heights and you don’t need to waste time comparing yourself to other parents. Try these quick tips to enjoy some parenting self-love and to improve the relationship with your child.
– Avoid the ‘just you wait’ doomsday crowd. Their favourite speech is the one about ‘just you wait until they are teenagers’. They expect the worst and are usually not disappointed.
– Put as much effort into listening to your child as you do in helping them learn to speak. There is no point in helping them put words together if you don’t listen to them.
– Accept your child’s invitations to play when they are small and they are more likely to continue to invite you to talk with them when they are older. If you are always too busy to play, it’s time to rethink your priorities.
– When you play games with your children don’t always play to win. Make sure they win more than you do. It’s a great way to build confidence and have fun at the same time.
– Turn off the TV more often. TV ruins good conversation, numbs the brain and can offer values that are highly questionable.
– Avoid turning every family dilemma into a major issue. We all make mistakes and get things wrong. Life is filled with rough edges. Offer patience and grace to your children.
– When you are wrong, say so. You cannot expect your children to say ‘sorry’ if you haven’t modelled this yourself. A sincere parental apology recognises that we all fail sometime.
– Look after yourselves. Tired parents find it hard to cope at the best of times.
Perhaps take some time out and treat yourself with a Mama Gift Box, pamper yourself with an amazing face mask or take a soak with some amazing bath salts to awaken and refresh yourself. And don’t forget to capture some of those special moments in time with your family.
A nice reminder of the Super Mum that you are!
