Parents want to keep work/life balance so they can raise healthy, happy children. No matter how experienced or new you are as a parent, you will develop your own parenting style through different approaches to communication, discipline, and raising your children in a caring and loving way. If you’ve been a parent for a while, you may wonder how you came to be the way you are.
The way we parent our children is influenced by a number of factors. We share with you how your upbringing can influence your role as a parent, as well as seven simple, yet effective strategies that you can implement almost immediately to make your parenting skills more effective and boost your self-confidence.
Growing up
Take a moment to reflect on your parents’ upbringing. Was everything organized and consistently followed? What kind of discipline and praise did they give you? What was the best and the worst thing about your upbringing.
As parents, we all have our own style and how we parent today is shaped by the parenting we received as children, adolescents, and adults. The authoritarian style of some parents means they set clear boundaries and will not negotiate while disciplining their children. Despite their firmness, fairness, and consistency, some parents are approachable and flexible, allowing them to adapt from one situation to the next using a fair and reassuring approach when disciplining their children. Regardless of the parent type, expectations are clear.
Furthermore, some parents don’t follow a consistent routine or give their children clarity about their parent’s parenting style. This can be used by some children to become more independent and take the lead over their parents in the home.
Did your parents tend to be authoritarian, firm and fair, or a balance of these two, or did you find it difficult to define their parenting style? Didn’t they spend a lot of time with you? Parental modeling occurs consciously or unconsciously, until we recognize our own style and skills in parenting, based on what our parents said and did.
Parenting skills are also influenced by your personality. As a parent in a busy house, being a happy, positive minded person is not bad, but you might wish to plan your day more thoroughly so there is some structure and consistency. You’re parenting skills and confidence will be affected if you constantly worry and are unable to handle difficult situations. Communicating with your children can help you gain a better understanding of their needs and help you respond appropriately to them.
Here are a few tips to help you raise confident children:
Think about what you want as a parent at the beginning of every day. Can you improve your parenting abilities by changing what you currently do?
You can resolve conflict with your children by asking them open-ended questions such as ‘What is the best time for you to go to bed, 7pm or 7.15pm?’
Think about how you will approach conflicts and difficult situations in the coming day and create a storyboard in your mind.
Be confident of your ability to be authoritative, consistent, and fair as a parent, so when things begin to get stressful, take two or three deep breaths and ask yourself how you will calmly handle the situation, and then do what you have decided.
Your family should establish simple house rules that you and your children agree to follow and remember to follow.
When you practice these parenting skills every day, you’ll notice that your children behave differently and that you have a better home atmosphere.
Adapt your parenting model based on the current situation every 5 days.
Wishing you all the best! In addition to providing you with effective tools and techniques, parent coaching can also help you make your time with the children much more rewarding, fun, sometimes challenging, but always solution focused, so you can live a happy and fulfilling life at home.
