Raising children is no cakewalk for parents and at times it can prove to be tedious and complicated as well. Irrespective of the myriad difficulties faced in parenting, have not you wished at the end of each year to become better parent for your kids? If you have the experience of making such New Year resolutions for a number of years which have not been fruitful, do not give up yet. With a little planning and sticking to some basic decisions you can transform the growing up years of your child into an enjoyable phase.
Reality check
So how do you go about implementing your New Year resolution of becoming a better parent? At first, you need to take stock of reality and understand exactly where you stand when it comes to bonding with your kids. There is no use denying the reality that owing to several factors like hectic work life, career woes, stress in lifestyle many parents become distant from their kids even before they reach teenage. So, it is time you understand the situation in your family. Needless to say, you will have to extract some time from your busy schedule for implementing your resolution. However, considering the long term results and joy it will bring to your family, you should not grudge about it!
Countdown to better parenting
To become a better parent and strengthen the bond with your child there are certain aspects you need to consider and work on them in the coming year.
1. Spending time with kids helps, even in small amounts
Even small things like having dinner or breakfast together helps family members bond well. Try spending some time everyday with your kids and even if it is not during meals, give them some time after dinner. Maybe you all can watch some favorite TV program together before going to bed. This way your kids will not feel that you are not giving them enough time.
2. Instill productive and healthy habits in kids
Try inculcating healthy and productive habits in your children when they are young. For instance, you can teach the kids ways to take care of plants and pets and explain them the benefits of maintaining hygiene. This way you can make them behave more responsibly from a young age and learn things that will help them better in long run.
3. Break the ice, especially on taboo topics
You should always monitor the activities of your children for their benefit but make sure you do not do anything or behave in a way that appears intimidating to them. This can harm parent child bonding a lot. It is definitely essential to keep an eye on their online activities considering that the web has many loopholes to make them vulnerable to dangers. However, there are ways to restrict their online activities without prying on them physically! Try to find out the topics and things your kids are interested in and thereafter offer them resources to learn on that. For example, you can give your children access to applications and online resources that they find worth their interest.
4. Monitor your kids without becoming the ‘Devil in Prada’
There are certain things children feel hesitant to talk about with their parents in general. Keep an eye open for such things that might affect your kids. A number of kids suffer peer bullying at schools and parental indifference and lack of proper mental guidance can worsen the situation. If your child is reaching teenage then you should make sure that he or she can talk to you about anything that is apparently embarrassing or considered a taboo. Remember that your kid is still immature and inexperienced and so you have to take the initiative to make him feel free in talking about it. If you find your children behaving unusually or sulking inside, its time you try to find out the root cause. In this context, it is also necessary to observe the friend circle of your kids.
5. Set precedent for your children
There is an age old saying-‘Practice what you preach’. This is integral to good parenting too. To ensure that your child adheres to the values and principles shown by you, follow them personally. This helps in setting precedence to your kids. For example, if you tell your kids that early rising and exercise is good for staying fit then you should wake up early yourself and watch any excess flab that you put on!
6.Show appreciation from time to time
It is also very important to appreciate good deeds and achievements of your kids from time to time. For instance, if you find your children is doing well in sports or studies, tell them that they have made you happy and you are proud of them. Like all of us, kids need appreciation too.
