1. Don’t Create Rules – Create Thoughts – While some rules are good to follow, so many rules will create a dry environment at home. Such kids usually lack in self-confidence when grown up. Any rules you create should have a genuine reason to satisfy your kids’ thought process. If your kid is not satisfied with the rule, probably you have not explained them properly.
2. Provide Guidance Instead of Giving Instructions – Instruction is a one-way process and is not encouraged for parenting. Guidance and collaboration expands your kids’ mental horizon. Remember, Instruction is “What to do”, whereas guidance is “What to do, Why to do and How to do”
3. Practice Daily Daddy Time – You might be a superman working hard to earn the bread for the family, it will be an act of irresponsibility if you are not sparing 5-10 minutes every day as “Daddy Time”. During this time, you should be fully available to your kids – no mobile, no laptop, no TV, nothing else. Only you and your kids please. Your kids should express their feelings with you, ask questions, discuss their concerns and share their opinions on any life subject.
4. Promote Sibling love – I am not aware of any family where siblings do not fight. Siblings’ brawls are simply inevitable, yet as a parent you need to promote sibling love through different activities such as dining together, sharing home stuff, family games etc.
5. Read Books Together – Once in a week everyone in the family should pick a book and read it for 30-60 minutes. As rightly said, today’s readers are tomorrow’s leaders. There is no other best companion than a good book. Reading together will encourage your kids to read more, develop their interest in reading which will lead them to become brand new personalities!
6. Teach How To Save And Spend – Try giving monthly pocket money but don’t guide them where to spend. Ask them to plan how they would spend and save money. If you micro-manage, their cognitive skills won’t get polished.
7. Instill Manners – Spare some moments every other day and guide your kids about general manners about treating family, friends, neighbors, guests. Explain them how to meet, greet and treat people.
8. Guide On How To Treat Strangers – Safety and security has become more of a concern these days. As a parent you need to let your children know on what to say and what not to say to stranger. They should know that revealing private information could lead to catastrophic situations.
9. Allow Small Decisions and Tolerate Mistakes – Do not guide them on small matters. Let them do mistakes. Do not build roads for them. Tolerate their mistakes so they can learn and improve. Let them fail on small activities. Small mistakes will help them learn on how to prevent. Mistakes and failures will increase their resilience which is one of the most important factors of life. Highly resilient person has the mental capability to bring himself/herself back to normal state when challenged with problems. People who are not resilient develop stress as they do not have flexibility (and self-control) on things that go against their wish.
10. Stay In Mentor And Guide Mode – Parenting job is not limited to a specific hour or day; it’s a life-long effort. Train yourself to stay in ‘guidance mode’ instead of scolding or mocking your kids. Consider every situation as a moment of opportunity to improve.
11. Teach Importance of Time – Disciplined and responsible kids are far more successful in life than the rest. Don’t let them to be lazy losers. Try to organize their schedule. Encourage them to create their time tables on paper or on computer. If they use mobiles, encourage them to use time management applications.
12. Train Digital Skills – With the advancement of technology it is imperative for parents to help their kids learn new technologies and soft-wares. This does not mean buying costly licenses and subscriptions. Let them learn new stuff that is freely and readily available such as Mind Map applications, coding for kids, robotics, Microsoft Excel and so on.
13. Encourage Asking Questions – Even if your kids ask stupid question, discouraging them will hit their thought process hardly. Further, their confidence will be shattered and you will end up having a shy kid very soon.
Thank you!
Thanks a lot for writing and sharing this.
very much needed