Being a good parent is a huge responsibility. You strive to be perfect, but as we all know, “Perfection is a myth!”. Instead of striving for perfection, you can widen your knowledge regarding good parenting skills. By reading parenting articles and blogs, listening to podcasts, and learning about nutrition and well-being, you will develop a skill set that will play a key role in positively developing your child’s personality.
Key Takeaways
- Good parenting implies prioritizing your child’s physical, mental, emotional, and social needs.
- The four pillars of parenting are- Patience, Presence, Positivity, and Playfulness.
- Important aspects of parenting are appreciation, setting boundaries, and providing unconditional love.
- The Mother-Toddler program at Mom & I, by House of Mother’s Pride aids in strengthening the parent-child bond.
What are good parenting skills?
Good parenting skills comprise actions that prioritize your kid’s overall well-being. It has been observed that kids who receive good parenting grow up to be confident adults. These children have a higher self-worth, are compassionate, have a healthy style of attachment, and are confident in being themselves. Good parenting skills are not definite in nature. It is a skill set that requires learning, unlearning, and re-learning according to the evolving times.
However, there is a positive parenting skills list that you can go through, which would broaden the horizon of your understanding related to parenting. Some of the examples in the realm of positive parenting include showing unconditional love to your children, giving priority to their education and learning, teaching moral values to kids, being an active listener, and many more. The more available you are for your kids, emotionally and physically, the less are the chances that they might get into wrong habits and risky situations.
Moreover, good parenting skills aren’t just centered around do’s and don’ts regarding children. Good parenting skills also include developing your peace of mind in complicated situations, taking out time for yourself on a consistent basis, and updating yourself with knowledge regarding parenting toddlers and newborns especially. This includes reading parenting articles such as 8 Best Parenting Tips for Parents to Raise Their Toddlers, Important Baby Care Tips for New Parents to Handle Their Newborns, and others.
Why are good parenting skills important?
Simply putting, good parenting skills are important because they prepare your kid to do good in life. Positive parenting helps children realize that they are important in their parent’s lives and they are loved unconditionally. As a result, the brain functioning related to emotional and cognitive abilities is better in such children. Moreover, by showing love, kindness, and warmth to your children, you ensure that your children become the best version of themselves while growing up. After all, a happy and healthy childhood increases the chances of a happy and healthy adulthood.
What are the top 10 positive parenting skills every parent should master?
“Strive to become a better parent”, “Keep calm when your kid is throwing tantrums”, “Create a balance of freedom and discipline with your child”, and so on. The list of do’s and don’ts when it comes to ideal parenting style is endless. You may wonder at times, “How can I improve my parenting skills”. To your surprise, the real answer is that you have to follow a mixed bag of all ‘ideal parenting tips and skills’, and then give weightage to the ones that work in your circumstances.
Here is a positive parenting skills list to guide you in your beautiful parenting journey:
1.Unconditional love
‘Loving our kids’ and ‘loving our kids unconditionally’ are two different things. We all love our kids. But sometimes we cannot stop ourselves from sharing our expectations with them. Hence, sometimes kids feel that only if they fulfill the expectations that their parents have of them, then they will receive love from their parents. Clearly, we never want our children to feel such way.
- Always be careful and sensitive of the words you use for your children in their presence and absence.
- Always shower unconditional love irrespective of any flaws, or areas of improvement that you find in your kids.
2.Imparting basic life skills
One of the most important parenting skills is to consistently teach your child about basic life skills. This includes skills such as Cold Cooking, Problem Solving Abilities, Communication Skills, Time Management, and others.
- Enrolling your child in a quality Toddler Program to aid in their skill development, or engaging in Creative Activities to Boost Your Toddler's Cognitive Development at Home, will help you impart basic life skills to your beloved child.
- You can enrich your knowledge by understanding about What are Developmental Milestones for Toddlers and How to Support Your Child, and then refine the skills that are relevant to different developmental milestones at various stages of life.
3.Respect and care
The respect and care that you show towards your children from the inception of their childhood is the level of respect and care that they feel they deserve in their adulthood. Their self-worth is dependent on the respect they get in their childhood years. Therefore, it is extremely important that as responsible parents, we give them respect and care from the very beginning of their life.
- This can be done by asking them their opinions on relevant matters and appreciating their ideas.
- By giving them constructive criticism when there is a need for improvement, you will observe your child growing into a person with a strong sense of self-respect.
Looking forward to making the first move for providing your child with quality childhood education? Contact us to enroll your kid in our engaging Toddler Program!
4.Encouraging your child to dream big
‘Small eyes and big dreams’, that is the essence of childhood. One day your kid may want to become an astronaut, and the next day, a chef! Hold on, a few days later, they may want to become a police officer, and in the evening of the same day, a doctor! Whatever your kid dreams of becoming, always ensure that you encourage them irrespective of the challenges in that particular profession.
- Engage your child in a variety of Pretend Play games. This will help your child learn about different roles. When your child imagines themselves to be a doctor, a teacher, a pilot, and so on, they get insights into these roles and gradually their inclination develops toward a particular role.
- You are encouraged to stay in the loop with your child’s teacher so that they can share your child’s aptitude and talent in different areas. Programs such as 3-months Toddler Program and 6-months Toddler Program put mothers in the front seat and keep them well-informed about all the development of the child.
5.Supporting good health
Your child’s good health is in your hands. Especially when your children are small, they are dependent on you for their nutritive needs. Therefore, it is necessary that you equip yourself with knowledge related to food that is high in nutritional value. For example, your children are in the mood for a flavorsome snack. In such a situation, you can use your understanding of healthy food and prepare a snack that is both healthy and tasty.
- You can develop the habit of eating fruits and unprocessed food in your kids so that they enjoy those items too.
- Remember that children copy what they see. So if they see you consuming healthy food, they would also develop a liking for the same.
6.Prioritizing education
It is true that the foundation you set today will define the personality of your kid tomorrow. Therefore, you need to prioritize your kid’s education from the onset of their childhood years. For example, in the Toddler Program by Mom & I, from the House of Mother’s Pride you provide your kid with a highly positive and supportive space that helps in their growth.
- Through these types of programs, your child gets early childhood education that forms their physical, emotional, creative, and cognitive abilities.
- The seeds of quality education that you sow today, result in a well-rounded person tomorrow.
7.Stress management
Managing your stress levels, keeping your calm, staying composed and patient, these are all things that are better said than done. It is understandable that when your child throws tantrums or disobeys, you may feel angry or frustrated. But when you practice staying calm or handling your child’s disobedience in a smart way, you will minimize your stress levels.
- Take time for yourself and engage in meditation and mindfulness. You can choose from a variety of options, like listening to songs, having a quiet thinking time, going for a walk, reading spiritual books, and so on.
- Planning helps in minimizing stress. Think of situations that you are aware of and plan in advance about them. Moreover, it is always a good idea to include your spouse’s input in your planning.
8.Instilling compassion and empathy
As a caring parent, it is required that you instill moral values in your child from the onset of their formative years. Making them compassionate and empathetic is equally important as imparting formal education to them. Therefore, share these moral values with them through stories and real-life examples that your child will relate to.
- Lead by example. When your child sees that you look at the world empathetically and you are compassionate towards others, be it human beings, nature, or animals, your kids will grow up with the same values.
- Appreciate when your child practices the smallest of acts of kindness and compassion. Sometimes we see our kids greet our household helps or addresses them as ‘Uncle’ or ‘Aunty’. Appreciate these gestures to encourage your kid.
9.Active listening
Active listening is one of the most important parenting skills that you should develop in your parenting journey. Children, right from their toddler years, love to talk and share multiple things with their parents. Listening to them helps in understanding what goes in their mind, how they look at different situations, what are their likes and dislikes, and so on.
- Active listening helps in making your child feel valued. They feel heard and acknowledged. Moreover, it is a great bonding experience for you and your kid.
- Moreover, as your child goes from the age group of toddler to that of pre-schooler, you can slowly teach your child to be an active listener too. This will help them not only in their school days but also in all other areas of life.
10.Behavior management
Behavior management is a skill that parents should master for their children. It implies that you have a positive outlook toward life and are in control of your behaviour. Life is uncertain and it throws different challenges unexpectedly. Thus, developing a practice to have a positive perspective in life, helps you thrive in every situation.
- When your child sees you having a positive outlook, they also develop a positive attitude in life.
- You can also teach your kid what is appropriate behavior and what is not, by setting clear boundaries.
These 10 parenting skills will help you and your child become ready for various aspects of life.
The 4 Pillars of Parenting
When it comes to parenting skills, here are the 4 pillars of parenting:
- Patience: It is the cornerstone of nurturing. You should embrace the journey, even when it tests you.
- Presence: Be fully there for your child and create lasting moments of connection.
- Positivity: You must cultivate a hopeful outlook to inspire confidence and happiness in your little one.
- Playfulness: You are encouraged to engage with your child’s world through joy, curiosity, and creativity.
How does the Mother-Toddler program at Mom & I support good parenting
The mother-toddler program at Mom & I, by the house of Mother’s Pride aids in child development by enhancing their physical, emotional, cognitive, and social abilities. In this process, it also helps in supporting good parenting by:
- Involving mothers in different playful activities so that they get bonding time with their kids.
- Inviting mothers for informative sessions on parenting, nutrition, and meditation, which are led by experts.
- Creating a space where mothers can interact with other like-minded mothers, thereby growing and learning together.
Frequently Asked Questions
Parenting skills are skills regarding being there for your children when they need you, listening to their feelings, and teaching them how to build healthy relationships.
Among the different parenting styles, authoritative parents are often seen as the most beneficial, as they strike a balance between nurturing and discipline, fostering a healthy environment for a child's life.
The four main parenting skills are Communication, Active Listening, Empathy, and Stress Management.
Neuroscientists discovered that when parents use positive approaches, it helps their child’s brain develop better, especially in areas that handle emotions and thinking.