How to be a Better Parent
How to be a Better Parent
Everyone thinks they know what it means to parent better. Today, more than ever, like this one, there an so many blog posts, books, and resources on parenting. Yet, the world has never needed better parenting than it does now. The question of How to be a Better Parent becomes incredibly difficult to answer but here is something to think about.
Parenting is complex, chaotic, and unpredictable. Nothing prepares you for it as every child comes with a unique flavour. But I believe that one of the best pieces of advice you can get on parenting is AVAILABILITY.
Be present, as much as you can, for your kids. In a world that promotes hustling like ours, where time they say is money, it has become increasingly important than ever before to be present for your kids. Unavailability tends to ruin a child’s life more than you can imagine. Do not take work more important than your children. Do not be too obsessed with making money that you forget to raise your kids. Posterity will judge you
You don’t want the media to train your kids for you. Be a core and integral part of their life. Ensure that they can always run to you. Create an environment where they can tell you just anything. More so, do not spare them when they need to be corrected.
Secondly, marry right. Marrying the wrong person can scar your children so badly, they may never recover from it. Your spouse also has to be available. Hopefully, nothing bad happens to either of you, but as long as there is life, you might need to ensure you do the hard work of managing your marriage. Having a sound and solid marriage and relationship will provide a good nurturing ground for your kids. So, marry right.
Lastly, be intentional about closing your open wounds and dealing with your insecurities and traumas. You do not want to transfer your insecurities to your kids. Same as your spouse. This is one conversation you need to have with your spouse. Projecting your fears, anxieties, insecurities, triggers, etc., on your child, is one of the fastest ways to dwarf them. Know and identify your shortcomings and make active steps to work on them.
There is no way this is an exhaustive list. But it is a starting point on how to be a better parent. If you are unmarried, ensure you sort all these before settling down.
to be continued…
