Do you need help with effective discipline and parenting styles?
My first article on rewarding parenting made 2 points. First, being a parent is different than being a friend and second, a parent needs to tune in on their child’s life. We will continue with the next 2 Tips that help make parenting a rewarding responsibility.
#3) Regular Interaction is Essential
How does a parent become close to their child? Answer: One key method is by having regular conversations with their kid. Develop a casual and comfortable way your child can talk to you. I have the most meaningful conversations with my grandson when it is just the two of us, and we are going for a walk, eating a meal without TV or putting him to bed after a story. (He wants to talk to forestall having to go to sleep) Part of the rewards of parenting is having your child share with you a secret, a happy event, or say “I love you.” It is so much fun to hear them laugh, to play with them, have them say something astounding, or mimic you. Share your feelings with them so they state theirs. Tell them about your childhood so they tell you what they are curious about or find concerning. It is a proven fact that children get in less trouble when they come from homes where there is a lot of communication. Talking is important to human intimacy. It is a pathway to knowing how they think and feel. As a counselor for 15 years, I ran teen support groups. We always began with check-ins. Each student would tell me what they were willing to share about their week. But after a while, they got use to it and would begin to really open up. It gave me insight into who they were and what was important in their life.Regular conversations help your child get to know you as a person and learn from your personal experience. Use real life situations, stories from the media, top songs, gossip about celebrities to teach and talk about your family values and a better way to handle difficult situations. Children who have a foundation of helpful stories and information are more equipped to handle the difficult situations in life.
#4) Teaching Independence
As a counselor, parent and grandmother, I believe that the 2 main roles of parenting are to keep our children safe and teach them how to become an independent, capable and responsible adult. The rules and teachings we choose to impart on our children should be founded from these two objectives. To keep them safe, you want to instill rules like buckle your seat belt in a car, look both ways before crossing the street, don’t talk to strangers, or wear a coat when it is cold outside. The second goal is to give them a sense of mastery over their environment. Teach them to respect other people, follow the rules and laws, do their homework, how to do household chores, balance a checkbook, make a budget, take school seriously, or learn a sport or hobby. When they are knowledgeable about the world around them, they will develop a sense of self-confidence. You as a parent must lead the way by making learning fun and always pointing out when they are successful.
Now that you have learned 2 more tips to rewarding parenting, please check out part 3 for the most important tip of all….show your affection to your children.
Some other parenting resources would be The Power of Positive Parenting: A Wonderful way to Raise Children by Glenn Latham and Sidney W. Bijou. Positive Discipline by Jane Nelsen, Ed. D. For more articles by this author on parenting go to www.supportivetalk.com.