“To be a parent is to be a chief designer of a product more advanced than any technology and more interesting than any work of art” – Alain de Botton. How to make parenting easier? Read on.
Parenting might seem like the most difficult today. However, the basic tasks in caring for our little ones from feeding, bathing, potty training and education have never been more manageable. What makes it hard is the proliferation of parenting philosophies, health guidelines, educational options, and more. Being a parent today doesn’t just mean having a baby and raising him or her to become a reasonably healthy, literate adult.
Parents are foreseeing their children’s future since birth and considering every choice they make as a step toward their success. The food they eat, the videos they watch, whether they should be homeschooled, potty trained early or whether they should have a piece of cake…
It’s no wonder even the most conscientious parents are overwhelmed. Remember that strong, emotionally balanced children were raised by happy and caring parents, who made many mistakes but learned how to overcome them with love and empathy towards their children and themselves.
We’ve gathered the best tips shared by Cloudhoods parenting experts and we are now happily passing them on to you.
Self-care
Most of us are crazy busy, have stressful jobs, and the “pandemic” situation didn’t make thing easier. Me-Time is usually the last thing on our to-do list, and we often find ourselves too tired to check it out. By self-care, we don’t mean taking a long Bath – that’s considered hygiene – we suggest taking the time to nourish your body, feed your mind and exercise daily. Take care of yourself in a way that allows you to stay healthy, happy and resilient because even the brightest souls cannot pour out of an empty cup
Empathy
It’s simple! Kids’ core emotional needs are love, connection and autonomy.
When we don’t meet those needs, misbehavior like whining, not listening, ignoring, or fighting with each other will occur daily. We sometimes use old parenting tactics to make them behave, like yelling, punishing, threatening or bribing. Those tactics might work in the short run. Still, they harm the child in the long run. Put yourselves in their shoes by validating their feelings and acknowledging that they are indeed big feelings worthy of your attention.
Children respond better when they feel loved and understood. So the next time your toddler throws a tantrum at the park or supermarket, why not try a hug instead? Go down to your child’s level, reach your hands out and say, “I need a hug”. Sometimes they might be too upset to give that hug. You can then respond with “I can see your upset right now; I will be right here when you are ready waiting for that hug”.
Asking for a hug to provide connection is powerful enough to stop the tantrum. As emotionally exhausting as they are, allow tantrums to happen, as long as it needs to, and respond with patience and calmness.
Consistency
Acknowledging a child’s feelings and having empathy and compassion doesn’t mean letting their bad behavior and attitude win you over. Our advice is to postpone disciplining your child until they are calm enough to listen.
For example, if your toddler breaks down over picking up their toys, try calming them down by acknowledging their feelings and showing them affection and empathy. Once they’ve calmed down, you can point out their behavior, clarify what is expected from them, and ask them to complete the task again. If they refuse to do so, it is then up to you to set a consequence that you are comfortable sticking too. It could be limiting their screen time or removing their favorite toy for a couple of days etc. Sticking to your consequence is crucial for a child to understand boundaries.
And finally, remind yourself that everyone has bad days. Some are just better at hiding it than others!
Here are one of the bestselling parenting books that make parenting easier:
Read more on 10 Parenting Tricks That Make Life Easy
