Are you a parent finding it difficult to manage your relationship with your children? Why is healthy parenting important and what can you do to improve your parenting skills?
The quality of our relationships have a significant impact on our health. While there are several types of relationships, the relationships between a parent and their child is one of the most important ones. In fact, one of the most common causes of mental illness in people is poor quality of parental support they received as children. Therefore, it is important to recognize that healthy parenting skills can greatly contribute to the mental and emotional development of children.
Healthy parenting ensures children develop high self-esteem and self-confidence, leading to success in both their personal and professional lives. Having a nurturing environment in childhood is, therefore, extremely important for human beings to thrive. Before attempting to care for children, it is also important that parents are in a healthy state of mind themselves.
Some healthy parenting practices include:
- Regularly expressing physical affection or words of appreciation to your child. This will make the child feel accepted and cared for and boost their self-esteem. A cold and distant attitude towards children makes them feel insecure and prevents them from developing healthy relationships later in life.
- Listening to and acknowledging your child by giving them regular opportunities to express themselves. For more information about this, visit compassionate listening. This will make the child feel understood and valued and boost their self-confidence. Minimizing children’s problems and dismissing their concerns makes them feel insecure about themselves and may adversely affect their professional performance in life.
- Disciplining children in an appropriate manner. If the child has done something that needs correction, then the focus of the disciplining should be on the problematic behaviour rather than the child’s character. Insulting or labeling children should be avoided since it shatters children’s self-esteem and self-confidence. Physical punishment seldom achieves its aim and, in addition to causing physical injury, it often results in the child becoming even more rebellious. Passive aggressive approaches are also harmful and create a tense environment for the child.
- Giving children the freedom to be themselves, and not imposing your own dreams and aspirations on them. Micromanaging or deciding each and every aspect of a child’s life prevents them from developing a healthy individual identity. Instead parents must take a supportive role and guide their children in making the best decisions for themselves.