To be the best parent possible you don’t have to buy your kids everything they want, never saying no to them and spoiling them.
There are far more important things we can do to help our children to face challenges and become more resilient, making us the best parent we can be.
I’m sharing 3 ways we can do this.
- Be Present
First and foremost, the best thing we can do for our children is to be present.
If we’re not present in our children’s lives it causes more problems than we know.
I think the most important issues are:
- It can cause self-confidence issues for our children which effects every area of their lives
- We won’t have a close relationship with them which is a foundation not only for our children but one we need too
In some circumstances and families, it can be hard to be present. But when we are, here are some easy ways we can be present:
- Listen to them when they are talking – really listen giving them our full attention
- Show up for our kids when they need us to – in whatever shape or form that looks like
- Understand them as best we can – try not to be judgemental
These may be ‘little people’ but we need to respect them as their own individual.
- Help Them Understand Tough Things
Sometimes life can get super tough and our kids are going to need someone to help guide them through this time. Make that someone you – not their aunt/uncle or their grandma/grandad but you.
For example, if you and your partner decide to get a divorce, then you need to sit down with them and talk through what this actually means.
Kids hear snippets of conversations and will have their own fears. Talking it through with them on a level they’ll understand and giving them space to share their fears can help in a tough situations.
Be there to support and make sure that your child feels secure, even when things are hard.
Sometimes it might be tough or uncomfortable to talk about things, but these are the most important conversations.
- Fight For Them When Necessary
Last but not least, we’ve got to be willing to fight for our child when necessary.
This might mean looking at something like The ADHD Centre to get a diagnosis if we think our child might have ADHD. It might be conflict with the school our child goes to.
There will be times where we need to fight for what is best for our child and we need to be prepared to do this, rather than avoiding the conflict.
Our children should always come before anything else shouldn’t they. No matter how difficult it is for us as parents or care givers, we need to set aside our own feelings and put them first.
One more thing I want to share is something simple we can do to help our children become resilient.
Teach your children gratitude and give them a tool that will impact positively on how they feel when there is conflict in their lives. You’ll be glad you did!
I hope that you have found this helpful, and now see some of the things that you can do.
It’s important that you are doing everything in your power to be the best parent possible, never letting yourself take the easy route just because it might be simpler.
I hope that you have a long, healthy relationship with your children.