By: Michael W. Elgersma
Being a parent isn’t easy and it’s ok if you don’t know what you’re doing. To help out, here are a few tips for becoming a better parent:
– Help your child learn to discuss ideas and goals encouraging them to a develop a confidence in themselves to learn to solve problems.
– Teach and model forgiveness.
– Emphasize values like honesty, kindness, dependability, truthfulness, and caring.
– Model the values you hope to instill in your child.
– Evaluate your attitude toward your child.
– Do not use blame, shame, or threats with your child.
– Be consistent, honest, fair, and firm when you relate to your child.
– Have conversations with your child about emotions and feelings.
– Acknowledge your child’s natural gifts and abilities rather than pointing out what they might do wrong.
– Allow your child to make mistakes.
– Avoid harsh criticism.
– Teach your children to value themselves, and model this by valuing yourself, too.
– Help your child learn to make decisions by offering them different choices.
– Let your child experience the results or consequences of their decisions or behavior.
– Avoid becoming obsessed with comparing your child’s growth and development to other children. Encourage them but do not push.
– Encourage your child to try new things.
– Read to your child and when they can have your child read to you.
– Develop family traditions and make memories.
– Take pictures, look at pictures and talk about happy family memories.
– Give your child household tasks or chores and allow them to make a contribution to teach them responsibility and give them a sense of belonging.
– Take an interest in something your child enjoys.
*Michael and his wife are parents of an almost 3 year old little girl and twin baby girls who were born a few months ago. Along with his own parenting experience, Michael specializes in working with families: helping parents with children of all ages deal with a variety of parenting challenges and issues.
If you would like help with some of your own parenting concerns contact us at Stenzel Clinical to set up an appointment with Michael or any of our other therapists.