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Sunday, April 25, 2010

Tips for positive parenting



Parenting is an important issue in all families. Positive parenting will exert good influence on children and will help to sharp good behaviour. If our children are guided properly and positive value are being taught, they will grow up to be a good person with high inner value. They will not turn to drug, gangs, sex and do bad things. They will become good citizen who contribute to their countries and societies.

What is positive parenting? Positive parenting will include certain elements.

Below are some tips for positive parenting:

1. Help our children to build their self esteem

We have to praise our children for their accomplishment no matter how small it is. Our children will feel important and valued if we praise them. Through praising, our children will be motivated internally and this will help to build their self-esteem. Avoid unfavourable comments even when our children do not meet our expectation. In addition, letting our children do things independently will boost their confidence once they succeed in doing them, this will build their self worth. Even if our children do not succeed in doing things on their own, it is important to give them a pat on the back for their effort and encourage them to keep trying and let them know that failure is the mother of success.

2. Spend quality time with our children

Make time for our children. Spend quality time with them. Even though we are busy every day, we have to allocate some time for our children. We have to be fully devoted when we spend time with our children. The amount of time spent is not important but the essence of time spent is important. Spending time with our children enable us to enjoy activities together with our children. It will help to improve communication between parents and children and enable parents to bond with children.

3. Become a role model to our children

Children will learn the behaviour of parents. Therefore, it is important for us to set a good example for our children. We must speak and act properly. When we speak we must not use improper words for example four letters word. We must keep our behaviour in check and do not pursue bad habits for example taking drugs, smoking, drinking alcohol, gambling or do bad things for example stealing. We must always think twice before we speak or act. We must try our best to become role models to our children.

4. Help our children understand their responsibilities

We must ensure our children understand their responsibilities in different social settings. Let them know their responsibilities at home, in school and in society. Helping our children understand their responsibilities will assist them to accept their responsibilities. This will nurture our children to become responsible persons.

5. Make them feel love and accepted

Love can settle a lot of problems. Therefore it is important to love our children sufficiently. They will feel accepted and a sense of belonging if they are sufficiently loved. This will boost their confidence. In addition, we must learn to forgive our children for their mistakes. Make sure that they understand the consequences of their mistakes and ensure that they will never repeat the same mistakes again. We must accept handicapped children the way they are and assist them in their daily lives.

6. Be kind but firm in discipline and avoid spanking

In discipling our children, we should avoid spanking. We must communicate to our children what is the acceptable behaviour. We must let them know what is our limit and what are expected from them. Let them know the consequences of bad behaviour. We may impose time out if our children are not behaving properly.

7. Encourage and reward good behaviour

When our children do something good, remember to give them a pat on the back or some encouragement. Reward our children for their good behaviour. This will reinforce good value in our children. Letting them know what is right and wrong is important. Encouragement will help to instill good behaviour.

8. Communicate properly with our children

Proper communication is important. We will know our children better if we often communicate with them. Our children will feel that we have an interest in their lives if we communicate with them often and properly. They will know that we care and love them. There will be a sense of belonging and love. This is crucial for the development of our children.

9. Teach our children to love one another

We must always encourage our children to love one another and help each other out. We should be fair to all our children and do not let them feel insecure. Sibling’s rivalry is unhealthy and should be avoided. A close knitted family where one helps one and another is important. Teach our children to respect one another.

10. Be flexible in parenting styles

There is no rule of thumb parenting style that suits all kind of situation. Children are changeable and unpredictable, therefore, we must also be flexible with our parenting styles to accommodate different situation.

Parenting can be the most rewarding job in the world if we can cope with our children. Therefore, positive parenting is important in raising our children. We will enjoy our children more if we practise positive parenting.

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