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Five facts you should know about healthy parenting

Parenting
  Take an intentional approach to be a good example and find ways to build a healthy relationship between you and your child (Shutterstock)

Did you know that parenting is one of the most searched and widely read topics in the world?

Sadly, there is no manual that can fully prepare you for what is ahead. This is one of those jobs you learn as you go type of thing.

And despite all the resource available, living in this day and age has not made it easier. Everyone is in an imaginary competition with their friends and trying to keep up with the Joneses’s.

Everywhere you turn, parents are trying so hard to be perfect only to realize they are not and so are their children.

And that is what successful parents have managed to understand. No one is perfect – not you, not your children.

You have to take an intentional approach to be a good example and find ways to build a healthy relationship between you and your child.

If your goal is to have a healthy relationship with your children, here are a few facts you may need to know about it.

i.They allow their kids to be independent

Tempted as you may be to help your child get ahead, healthy parenting allows kids to make friends, do chores and their homework on their own.

They understand the need and importance of allowing their kids to do things by themselves. This, however, does not mean you don’t teach or guide your child. No!

The point here is to let them do things on their own after equipping them with the right skills to do so. Micromanaging and controlling their lives will not help.

ii.They are involved

Healthy parenting involves hard work and taking time to be in your child’s life. This means rethinking your priorities and making sacrifices most of the times to be able to be there for your kids when they need you.

Besides being there physically, you have to be there emotionally and mentally. Kids know, so don’t think you can work on your deadlines and baby sit at the same time.

Studies have shown that children who have parents playing an active role in their lives manage stress better, have healthy mental health and perform well in school generally.

 You need to understand that no one is perfect – not you, not your children (Shutterstock)

iii.Consistency

When you are consistent with your actions and expectations, it reduces anxiety in your children as they have a clear picture of what is needed of them and what to expect from you.

Predictability is a very good thing as it helps foster morning, day time, dinner time and sleeping routines.

Research shows that parents who do this have well behaved children as it serves to buffer against mental and physical problems as they grow older.

iv.They apologize when wrong

If you grew up in an African home this is probably one of the last things you should ever expect to hear from your parents. And that is probably the reason why we also have a hard time saying sorry.

When it comes to healthy parents, they teach their children to own up to their mistakes, apologize and make it up. Likewise, they follow suit when they have wronged.

Even good parents make mistakes and you owe it to your child to take responsibility and make it right.

v.They value discipline

One of the best ways to raise brats, selfish, ungrateful and naughty children is through lack of discipline.

Children who find it difficult to make friends, stay in relationships and always getting into trouble are those who were never taught right from wrong.

Discipline, not punish, your child when they do something wrong. This will help them learn how to control their behavior. Teach them from an early age that bad behavior has consequences so they can have discipline.

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