If you are wondering how to parent effectively, how to be a better parent and what to do to raise healthy happy children here are some helpful personal development tools and techniques to help you.
Children are born in the world with a natural curiousity to learn and grow. They look around the world with eager eyes for role models and examples of how to live in the world successfully. As a parent it is your role to demonstrate a healthy and happy way of living.
Laurence Steinberg in his book “The Ten Basic Principles of Good Parenting” suggested that the scientific evidence linking certain principles of parenting to healthy child development was so clear and consistent that these same principles could be applied universally, regardless of a family’s income, race, or single- or two-parent status. It’s doubtful that the same parenting strategies will work as effective for one culture as it will for another. However there are certain things we know will increase our child(ren)’s self-esteem and overall happiness and satisfaction.
Increasing Self-Esteem in Yourself and Your Children
A positive self-esteem is necessary for a happy life. As a role model for your child(ren) its important to demonstrate what a healthy self-esteem looks like. If your childhood or past experiences didn’t give you a solid foundation in positive self-esteem then you can increase this through personal development tools such as worksheets. Personal development worksheets (or books) will take you through what it means to have a high level of self-esteem and what you can do to make yourself feel good inside. I invite you to download this free personal development worksheet on self-esteem and start your journey. While you nurture your self-esteem you can nurture your child’s self-esteem too. Praise them for their achievements and accomplishments and show them how to do things independently so they feel capable and good about themselves.
Be Kind, Caring and Loving to Your Children – and Yourself!
If you’re wondering how to parent effectively always start with yourself. In order to be a kind, caring and loving parent to your children it’s necessary to be kind, caring and loving to yourself. Many experts on parenting recommend catching your child being good. Rather than constantly berating your child(ren) for their negative behaviour, praise them on their positive, helpful behaviours so they feel good about themselves. And while this may be true, it’s important to catch yourself being good too. If you carry negative thoughts in your head about how you are ‘useless’, ‘unworthy’ or ‘bad’ you keep putting yourself down. How do you think this makes you feel? How does this impact on your relationship with yourself and your children?
You can see that how to parent effectively really stems from your own personal development. If you are thinking positively you will more likely praise your children and enjoy the wonderful things they do every day. If you have the knowledge of how to increase your self-esteem then you are more likely to help your children development a healthy self-esteem.
Role Model the Traits You’d Like Your Children to Have
You are your child(ren)’s role model for a healthy and positive life. When you explore your inner world through personal development you learn to identify your traits that you like and don’t like. When you’ve discovered these you can decide whether they are working in your favour to achieve your goals and dreams. If there are any traits that you feel you need to grow you can look to other successful people and model their behaviours. But you are also a role model for your children to learn certain traits. What traits would you like to cultivate in your child(ren)? Would you like to them learn respect, honest, kindness, caring, understanding, friendliness? Model these behaviours every day and your children will learn from you. Express thanks and offer compliments and treat your children the way you expect other people to treat you. Develop the traits within you through personal development techniques to improve your life, but also to develop effective ‘how to parent’ skills.
Doing Things Together Shows Them That You Care
But what about spending time together? You can do your own personal inner work and thinking positively, but what about spending time with your children. Look for ways to connect with them in ways they understand and appreciate. Taking them grocery shopping is not their ideal way of spending time together. Do something they love to do such as playing at the park or going to the movies. And I highly recommend participating in their activities. Rather than watching from a distance at the park get on the swing and go down the slide. You’ll not only positively engage with your children, but you’ll also be getting physical exercise for yourself. You might find yourself laughing and playing – like you used to when you were a child. (It’s healthy!) You can extend your personal development to a healthy mind & and healthy body by spending time with your children.
Love Makes a Healthy Child
Always, always, always love yourself and your children unconditionally. As you guide your children through life you teach them which behaviours and thoughts will create a life you desire. When you feel you need to correct or guide them in another direction words and actions that denigrate, blame, criticise, put-down or fault-find weaken their self-esteem. If you are familiar with using hurtful words and actions to ‘control’ your child(ren) you probably picked up this habit from your childhood or past experience. Instead use words that will help them understand the overall truth of the situation, increase their self-esteem and encourage them. Demonstrate with your actions that you love them. Be gentle and kind. And be gentle, kind and loving to yourself to. You can show your inner child what he/she feels is a perfect parent. Feel loved, be loved and love.
Moving through personal development worksheets, tools, techniques and even a one-on-one consultation is beneficial for guiding you to how to parent effectively. Recognise your strengths and weaknesses as a parent by doing a SWOT Analysis or listen to a guided visualisation to increase your self-esteem levels. Always strive to improve your life – because in turn this helps you to be a better parent. Enjoy scrolling through the website for all the resources you need to improve your life.