This article was written by Stephen Marshall.
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The relation between a parent and child begins from the day of conception and it is always a love at first sight. From first words to first step to every new milestone, both the parents and children grow together. While it is beautiful to see the little humans, you have created grow as individuals, it is difficult to always know and do the right things for your little one. One of the biggest things that most parents worry about, is inadvertently making mistakes for which their child will resent them, or which will affect their kids in the long run.
It is important to understand that there is no one right way of parenting but with a little understanding parents can definitely have a beautiful relationship with their sweet little angels. It is important to love and understand, as well as to take active steps to nurture the beautiful bond.
Listen to their opinions
One of the best things that you can do is to let your little ones have their opinions. Even if your little boy wants to be a princess for Halloween, let him be one. Let your little girl choose her own flower girl dresses for the wedding you are attending. Allowing your children to have an opinion not only helps build them as individuals, it also goes a long way in nurturing healthy bonds with your kids.
Listening to your children’s opinions and not deciding things for them makes them feel like an individual, instead of being looked down upon. When you respect their opinions, they know that they have an adult who will always believe in them, no matter what. This helps them grow up to become well rounded adults with strong opinions and personalities.
Communication is crucial
Irrespective of age, communication is one of the most important factors in the relationship between a child and a parent. It is important to be open, loving and understanding in order to communicate effectively. Kids are smart and there are higher chances that if you communicate with logic and love, they will see reason and it will be easy to have them on board.
Therefore, if there is a problem in the family or something that your children need to learn and follow, instead of scolding, hiding or pressurising, choose to communicate. Speak to them in a language and tone they would understand instead of talking down to them. Always remember that communication is a two-way street and be open to exchanges. It is even more important in the rebellious teenage years that you be open to communication, no matter what so that you are the one they confide in, always.
Teach using examples
If there is one of the things that affects children the most, it is examples. First and foremost, in order to make your kids listen to you, you need to set a good example in front of them by practising what you preach. Children are impressionable but smart and they pick up from what they see you doing. Hence, if they see you bending the rules and principles that you set for them, they will follow your path and break their rules without realising the extent of consequences of their action. Keeping up with what you teach will build a respect for you and make them trust your words more. Moreover, encourage them with positive examples to help them grasp better.
Engage in activities
One of the most important things that you can do to build a beautiful bond with your children is to have fun together. Set a certain amount of time every day for some fun and excitement, and it is a good idea to involve all the adults involved in the parenting of the kids in these activities. Draw up a list of activities and fun games that you and your kids can enjoy together. It can be something as simple as grocery shopping or super exciting DIY projects, depending on your time, energy and children’s inclinations. Doing fun activities together will help you create fun times at home which will keep boredom at bay, reduce screen time and build a beautiful relationship.
Focus on positives
It is important for children to understand that failure and success are both important parts of our lives and they have to live with it, come what may. Encourage your kids to do their best always instead of making a huge deal out of success because then, they only focus on the goals and not the process and learning. Teach them to deal with failures and disappointments, to take these into stride, learn from them and move on. Focus on the positive out of every bad and your little ones will learn to enjoy the journey of life instead of hankering after the fast track to success. Obsession with success and failure has a deep negative impact on the children.
Make reading a routine
Reading is a great way to form unbreakable bonds as you and your kids take a journey through the beauty of imagination, beauty and fantasy through the power of well-crafted words. Start early and read out bedtime stories to your little ones. As they grow up and learn to read, teach them to appreciate literature by reading books together. As the web of words are spun, you entangle beautiful and happy memories which your children will love and cherish for life. It will also help them develop an enriching and fulfilling habit of reading.
A bond between a child and a parent is beautiful. It is one of the very few relationships that begin even before seeing each other and continues beyond life. But like every relationship, there are always scopes to help enrich the bond. Use these tips to create a loving relationship and some of the best childhood memories that your children will treasure. Parenthood is a tough job, but it is definitely one hundred perfect worth every effort.
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Stephen Marshall is a Director of Be Basic CEO with extensive experience in marketing and financial services in Meridian, Idaho.
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