Sometimes, parenting mistakes occur because parents depend upon their instincts to overcome challenges they face in raising their children. What they need is just a little help with parenting challenges! Get top 7 tips to avoid some of the parenting mistakes and raise the bar of positive parenting up a notch:
Fix your thinking to solve your problems: Some parents unquestioningly accept the problems associated with their child. Maybe they think that some of these issues will go away with time and they don’t need to fix them right away! Such problems may include repeated night awakenings, bedtime battles, regular temper tantrums, or behavioral problems in adolescents.
Some extra effort, persistence and the never give-up attitude will help fix any sort of problems.
If you don’t know where to begin with, seek professional help, or read books and websites on overcoming parenting challenges. Health professionals can help you solve more persistent or difficult problems.
Don’t over or underestimate problems: Problems should be dealt with a clear vision. Sometimes, we make a mole out of a mountain. No need to panic before estimating a problem.
- Your preschooler throws occasional tantrums
- Your 5-year-old mimics a dance number
- Your teen wants more independence
All three problems mentioned above are not big ones. They are age-appropriate problems expected from children. However, problems like teenage smoking, stealing, or cheating should be dealt with very carefully and smartly. Parents who are facing such challenges can register their children at the Online Medha Yoga Level - 1 program.
Consciously avoid unrealistic expectations: Unrealistic expectations from children can give rise to new problems. Give your 2 ½-year-old the normal learning time for potty training. Work with your 6-year-old who is frequently wetting the bed. Give space to your moody teenager. Expectations should match the developmental ability of a child. Also, be aware of the age-appropriate expectations.
Children can enhance their capacity by boosting the power of intuition through Intuition Process program.
“Intuition means having the right thought at the right moment” ~ Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
Shun inconsistency: Inconsistent parenting style is very harmful for children. A balanced parenting style is the best, strict whenever needed and vice versa. However, if you’re strict sometimes and give a blind eye to something equally (or more) serious, children become confused. They find it hard to decide how to act or what is expected of them.
Set rules and limits: Some parents may think that a parenting style that allows their children to do whatever they want is good for them! It’s not.
Young children find it hard to live without clear rules set out for them. Rules, limits, consistent routines and limited choices help them decide their course of actions, throughout the day.
Stop fighting back: Your aim should be how to stop a problematic behavior! Avoid unnecessary arguments and destructive patterns of conversation like yelling, getting mad and repeating yourself again and again. Fighting back doesn’t stop a problem behavior. It delegates lots of power to your children as they can trigger such strong emotions in you.
Instead, apply more effective discipline techniques on them. Maintain timeouts. Decide upon logical consequences. Use time smartly and avoid wasting it in arguments. The latter might only increase the misbehavior that you want to stop.
Change the ineffective technique: Recognize the parenting technique that is not working for you. For example, spanking can be an effective technique to solve a problematic behavior if it has actually stopped your child from doing it again. However, if you have to repeat it frequently to stop the same behavior, spanking is not helping either of you.
Remember that there is no good or bad parenting style but there is always an effective or an ineffective one. Reach out for professional help whenever needed.
Are you an Authoritative or an authoritarian parent?
Check out your parenting style?
Authoritative Parenting Style
- Parents respect their children’s opinions.
- Parents respond to the children’s emotional needs.
- Parents encourage decision-making and independence in their children.
- Parents encourage their children to express themselves.
- Parents logically explain the rules to their children.
- Parents closely monitor their children’s behavior and correct them if needed.
- Parents compliment their children.
- Parents fulfill their children’s wishes before asking them to do something.
Authoritarian Parenting Style
- Parents don’t care about their children’s opinion.
- Parents suppress their children’s emotions.
- Parents keep a strict control over everything their children do.
- Parents allow only one-way communication.
- Parents impose their rules upon children, and resort to punitive measures if broken.
- Parents remind their children of their behavioral problems in the past to correct them.
- Parents openly criticize their children.
- Parents keep reminding their children the things they have done for them.
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FAQ's on Avoid Common Mistakes Good Parents Make!
As a child you don't have the authority to stop your parents from making a mistake, but you can certainly show the harmful effects of their actions. Communicate with them from the space of love, respect and the need to save them from harm. Don't expect an apology from them. Instead aim at improved decision from them. For example, recharge plan for their mobile. As you may have advanced knowledge of it than your parents, brief them about the plan most appropriate for them.
The common mistakes parents make -
* Inconsistent parenting style confuses the child
* Spanking your child is not helpful to solve all problems
* Unrealistic expectations from your child triggers internal struggles in their little minds
As children we learned to imitate our parents' actions and words being the everyday caretaker. If they didn't learn to cope with stress, so do the children and later same children become stressed parents. Thats how history repeats itself until the vicious circle is broken by practicing some yoga and meditation to cope stress with a smile.
A good parent takes care of themselves to take good care of their children. Discipline effectively but don't push and demand. See your child as an independent individual and not your mirror image.
Parents should treat their child with love, care and respect.
