Parenting is an amazing phase of life that most people desire to experience.
Despite their burning desires to be parents, they may be incapable of being good parents, leading to their children's stunted mental well-being.
Thus, it's essential that you learn how to be the best parent for your child if you want them to have excellent mental well-being.
To excel at parenting, you have to take care of yourself.
Ensure that you care for your emotional needs and work on your mental disorders (if any).
You can't introduce your child into a life of being emotionally abused by you; you won't be doing them any good.
Similarly, you should give your child a lot of attention.
They are newbies in this world; they don't know how things operate; therefore, they will need you to help them handle things.
But if you are not attentive to their needs, how will you help them handle things?
As they grow up, they will inevitably annoy you. However, you should respond with love.
Ensure that even if you are doling out consequences to them for their actions, you don't get mad.
Calm yourself down and tone down your reactions.
Then, admonish them with love to show your child support.
Here are the tips you need to be the best parent for your child:
Caring for your emotional needs will leave you with a chance to devote the positive part of your mental energy to your child.
Hence, doing this is essential if you want to be the best parent for your child.
A great way to start the step is to take care of your physical health.
Ill health or being unsatisfied with your general body image can make you feel bad all the time.
You should improve your physical health so you may enjoy the mood boosts that come with it.
Also, you should find purpose in life.
Humans are generally designed to seek purpose; a lack of purpose leaves us empty and unproductive.
To prevent rotting in empty thoughts and becoming uncaring about your child, you should try hard to find meaning in your life.
In your attempt to take care of your emotional needs, understand that you need to connect with a tribe of people.
We need each other, and connecting with people who share interests can help you find happiness, excitement, and a sense of belonging.
Giving anyone attention is a sure way of letting them know you are interested in them and there for them.
This significantly affects kids as it shows them that you love and care deeply for them.
To be the best parent for your child, you have to give them a lot of attention.
Attention-giving ways are many, and one of them is showing interest in their activities.
If your child is playing some games, you can tag along and watch them.
If they are watching a cartoon, you can sit by them and watch with them, even talking about the characters.
Moreover, you can give them attention when they talk to you.
This is the general situation when attention is demanded, and it is vital that you give them at this moment.
When they share information with you, listen to them fully without any distractions.
Then, ask them questions when they are done talking to show them you were listening.
You can also give them attention during activities you organize.
You can do this easily by planning family rituals or moments and having them participate.
Ensure the family moments focus on everyone so that when it's their turn, everyone will be attentive to them.
Yelling at kids is no fun.
Even if you intend to teach and correct, you will likely do more harm than good.
Therefore, it's essential that if you want to be the best parent for your child, you should calm down with your angry reactions and apologize when you fail to calm down.
Know the triggers of your anger.
It is abnormal to shout at your child whenever they do something wrong.
When you observe that your mood is about to change, try to rein it in.
You can correct them later after you have calmed down.
If you are in the habit of expecting your child to be perfect, erase such expectations from your mind.
Your child won't know how to do many things and may require many moments of practice before they are proficient at it.
Your strict expectations will only cause nothing but mental stress for your child.
If you yell at them or react outrageously, it is crucial that you apologize to them.
Do not try to prove to be a superior power and ignore their hurt feelings.
You will only continue to hurt them more and cause them to like you less.
Be sure to apologize with your words and actions.
Although independence and self-reliance are excellent skills for children, leaving them to fend for themselves will only mean you are neglecting your parental duties.
If you desire to be the best parent for your child and help their mental well-being grow without stress, you should allow them to depend on you.
You can do this by helping them when they request your help.
If they want to get someone and you are in the best position to help, be sure to help.
Even if it is trivial to you and you believe they can get it themselves, try to help.
It will help build an understanding that you are solidly behind them.
Similarly, ensure that you support them even if they don't ask.
For instance, show up at their sports events or academic competition.
Be their loudest fan and watch them beam in happiness.
Such memory will stay embedded in their memory, reinforcing their belief that they can depend on you.
Also, listen to them attentively when they come to you with emotional problems.
Do away with all forms of distraction and listen without judgment.
When they are done, ask questions and advise them accordingly, without blaming them.
Life skills are valuable skills that your child will need in every facet of life.
These skills include collaboration, effective communication skills, empathy, time management, initiative, and honesty.
To be the best parent for your child, you should teach them these skills to help them hold their own throughout their lifetime.
To teach them effectively, you can introduce them to these concepts from a young age.
Ensure that you put these concepts into everyday activities.
This will allow them to build familiarity with life skills even though they are not consciously learning about them.
Once they get older, you can consciously point out the applications of the various skills to them.
Doing this will help them to understand the skills better, allowing them to practice them well.
You can even introduce them to professional institutions that teach these life skills to children.
There are various boot camps and skill acquisition programs for kids where you can register your child and let them pick up these valuable skills.
Giving your child the necessary support as a parent will result in your child having positive and excellent mental well-being.
To be the best parent for your child, take care of your emotional needs, give them attention, analyze your emotional reactions and apologize, allow them to depend on you, and teach them valuable life skills.
https://familydoctor.org/mental-health-keeping-your-emotional-health/amp/
https://raisingchildren.net.au/toddlers/connecting-communicating/connecting/positive-attention
https://www.todaysparent.com/family/discipline/proven-ways-to-finally-stop-yelling-at-your-kids/amp/
I am a Licensed Professional Counselor, and owner of Overcomers Counseling. I'm dedicated to helping individuals find strength and healing through life’s challenges. With a deep understanding of mental health and years of professional experience, I specialize in fostering hope and resilience while equipping her clients with tools to thrive. Passionate about empowering others, she creates a safe, supportive space where everyone feels seen, valued, and capable of overcoming obstacles on their path to well-being.
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