Parenting Tips (Transcription)
Hi, everyone – happy Tuesday and happy April! I can’t believe we’re already in April! The weather’s getting warmer. It’s getting closer to summer. People are getting excited – I’m excited. So for that reason, I’m going to go over some effective parenting techniques that you want to make sure you’re doing with your kids. And I wanted to do this because I know with the pandemic (i.e., COVID-19), people are at home with their kids so much. Summer’s coming up, which means the kids are not going to be in school – so I wanted to hit on this before that happens.
Parenting Tip #1
So the first thing you want to keep a lookout for is to keep maintaining and building their self esteem. Kids are very vulnerable to low self-esteem, which can lead to low self-esteem in adulthood and can cause a variety of issues for that, including anxiety or depression, things like that. You really want to make sure you’re building their self esteem, make sure you’re catching them, doing things that are good and focused on positives about them. When they acknowledge that they feel good about themselves, acknowledge it with them and also model this to them. So don’t ever talk negatively to your kids about your own image or your own self-esteem. You really want to make sure that you’re focusing on positives. For instance, if you are taking a picture and you maybe don’t love the way that you look, don’t tell them that because they’re going to model that behavior (e.g., they may say, well, I need to make sure I look really good in pictures too). Try to make sure that you’re modeling really positive self-esteem for yourself and then acknowledging their own self-esteem as well.
Parenting Tip #2
The next thing you want to do is keep a line of open communication. I know that this can be really difficult, especially when it comes to the teenagers. So you really want to make sure that from a young age, you’re starting them saying, “I’m here for you. I’m here to listen if you need it.” When they do come to you for problems, make sure that you acknowledge their problems and validate their feelings – and not just brush them off or try to just give them advice. They want to feel like they can talk to you about things. And if they do go to you, they’re going to be welcomed with open arms in that communication.
Parenting Tip #3
The next is to set limits and be consistent with those limits. Set those boundaries and make sure you’re setting the discipline that will be happening for any consequences that they will experience – if they do something that they’re not supposed to do. And make sure that you’re consistent with that, especially with your partner or whoever might be co-parenting with you. Everyone needs to be on the same page with the disciplines, what’s happening and the consequences. So make sure that you’re being consistent with that. Parenting is not easy – there’s not a rule book of everything that you need to do and how you need to do it for every situation. So you might need to be flexible and you might need to change your parenting style as your child gets older or goes through different things that you weren’t experiencing before. So it’s okay to be flexible and adapt to those new situations.
Parenting Tip #4
Lastly, love unconditionally. The child or teenager needs to know that no matter what – whatever mistakes they may make, whatever consequences they have – they still are loved by you. And that is unconditional. So they will always have your love. Make sure you tell them that – “I’m disappointed in you, but of course I love you still I’m here for you. Let’s figure out a plan. So this doesn’t happen again.”
Hopefully this helps and I will see you all next Tuesday for more tips!