Top 10 Tips for Good Parenting

Everyone’s got their own kind of parenting style, but there are some general tips that can keep you in good stead. Here are 10 tips worth bearing in mind.

1. Be Consistent

It’s important to give your children a consistent form of parenting, so stick to the same rules in order to offer them stability.

2. Be on the Same Team
Make sure you and your partner are on the same side when parenting. Try to adopt the same rules so that your kids will have a united parenting front. This also prevents them from feeling confusion over what rules to follow.

3. Don’t Fight in Front of Your Children

This can create anxiety and fear in children who might think that fighting means something serious. It also places stress on them when they should not have to carry the burdens of your relationship.

4. Lead by Example

How you lead your own life and react to situations is probably the most important way to instill the same values in your children. Make sure how you live is the way you want your children to live!

5. Don’t Compare Siblings

This creates sibling rivalry and instils in children a sense of competition that can be unhealthy. Praise children for their unique gifts, talents and good behaviours.

6. Reach Out to Them

Spend quality time with your children. A study conducted for the Family and Parenting Institute showed that almost three-quarters of children in London and the South East said they wanted more time with their mothers and fathers. Quality time builds bonds with your children and makes them feel that it’s safe for them to confide in you.

7. Show Love

By giving your children affection and love, you not only let them feel cared for, but you also teach them to be warm and affectionate in their relationships later in life.

8. Figure Out Your Goal

What is your main parenting goal? Is it to teach your children how to be responsible adults or to love them? Figure out your main goal and let this guide your overall parenting style.

9. Encourage Independence

This helps your children explore who they are and learn that with freedom comes responsibility. Give them a chance to make choices and guide them in the direction of healthy ones.

10. Avoid Severe Discipline

This makes children fear or rebel you, and it also could cause aggression in them. For instance, a study by Tulane University in America found that children who are spanked regularly at the age of three have the tendency to become aggressive by the age of five.