It’s not easy raising kids. It comes with its challenges but is also one of the most rewarding things you can so. Here are some tips for living in the present and giving yourself new opportunities to make it right and be the best parent you can be.
Know the secrets for mastering the art of successfully raising your son and then move forward with confidence knowing you have what it takes to bring him up properly. There is no magic formula, so do your best and know that no parent is perfect as you grow and learn together.
Listen
Sometimes your child will want to share and talk with you. What you want to do is listen to your child and hear them out when they have a problem to share or a question for you. Don’t assume or blame before you even get the whole story from their perspective. Remain patient and open to working together to resolve whatever’s going on in their life. While you’re the parent and are wiser from your years of experience, you have to allow your child to speak for themselves and come up with their own ideas for moving forward if you want them to be independent one day.
Encourage instead of dictate
Focus on encouraging your child to try various activities and go after their dreams, instead of saying no and dictating what he should and shouldn’t do. Regardless of their hobbies, whether they be creative, sporty, or want to challenge themselves, look into options that work for them. Try to be understanding and allow them to soul search on their own without telling them what to do. They will figure it out in time if you’re there to guide and encourage them to not give up on themselves, and continue searching for what it is that makes them happy.
Spend quality time together
What’s going to make or break your relationship is if you two spend quality time together. One idea is to go on a trip with you two and some of their friends and their dads, perhaps. Consider a camping getaway or road trip to some unique places you’ve always wanted to visit. Make sure you purchase the right gear ahead of time such as sleeping bags, flashlights and towing mirrors for your cars if you’ll be caravanning or towing an RV. Being with a group of people will take the pressure off of you two, and you’ll be able to simply kick back and relax with everyone in a friendly and relaxed environment.
Give them space when they need it
It’s not a good idea to crowd your child and be in their business all the time to a point where it becomes frustrating and annoying for them. While it’s important to know what’s going on at all times, so they don’t get into any trouble, remember they’re also growing up and need a little space to find themselves. It’s all about creating balance and giving each person in your household time to be alone and reflect when they need it.
Teach them the importance of respecting others
It’s a cruel world at times, and you don’t want your children learning any bad habits from outside influences, so make sure they are taught best practices from you. For example, demonstrate the proper ways to treat others and make sure they’re aware how to show people respect, and be polite to others. Children are often influenced by their parents, and if you lead a good example, you can be sure the values you instill are reflected in your children.
Let them make mistakes
Remember when you were a kid and all the mistakes you made and keep in mind your son is human too. He’s going to mess up, and you have to be there to help get him through these difficult times. Yelling and screaming isn’t probably your best option, so think of others ways to make sure he hears what you’re saying. Most importantly, you want to him to learn from his mishaps. You can’t control all that goes on, but what you can do is teach your son right from wrong and how to get through trying times.
Help them come out of their shell
Many young children are shy at first but don’t discount your children growing into more social and outgoing people just because of the natural shyness involved in growing up. You can assist with this by helping them come out of their shell by bringing them into social situations with you and showing him how to interact with others. Take them to events, perhaps, or activity clubs where they will interact with other children their age.
Be Good about Sharing Feelings
One area where you’ll want to focus in on with your children if you want them to be more open is to be good about sharing their feelings. Don’t be afraid to have conversations with your kids, dig deep to get emotional responses and help them work through what’s going on in their head and heart. Show them it’s okay to talk about your feelings and that it’s healthy to not keep whatever’s going on inside all bottled up. As a family, be good about sharing your emotions and giving each person a chance to speak and state their opinions and viewpoints on a topic.
Conclusion
These are a few pointers that will make it a bit easier for you as you parent and raise your child in a challenging world. Take it one day at a time and don’t get down on yourself when you’re faced with obstacles and feel like a failure. There isn’t a perfect solution, so you’re going to have to do the best job you can with what you know and have taught yourself about parenting.