Being a parent, is the probably one of the most exciting stages of life that any man or woman could go through. But it also could be very overwhelming, and scary if you do not have the right support or tools to parent your child. It is important as parents that we learn to not only understand ourselves, but to also comprehend our children; and recognize that they, although still too immature to have full control over their lives will grow up to make their own decisions that will shape the rest of their lives. Here are 6 tips you can use to parent your child purposefully!
1. Know your Identity as a parent, live a life of purpose, so you are not living vicariously through your children.
2. Unconditionally Love your children, they should always know that you will never turn away from them; you are not perfect but you will learn to love your child completely despite their behavior or choices.
3. Empower your child to be responsible, spoiling your child and not giving them the opportunity to make decisions, be trusted, and learning to take credit for one’s actions – whether good or bad hinders them from reaching their full potential.
4. Learning to Listen and Ask the right questions, sets your child up to have a safe environment to be able to share what is on their heart. You may find that this, is where you child may talk about their dream and aspirations for the future. It begins with daily check ins!
5. Create an Environment conducive for discovering, helping them explore what they like or don’t like such as extracurricular activities i.e. gymnastics, dance, soccer, music (don’t shy away from such activities because of your financial situation many institutions have financial aid programs, ask your local area YMCA and similar organizations).
6. Ask for help! Know that you are not alone, there are other women and men who have gone before you, it is ok to ask questions and learn from others.
