By Rojina Kandel
According to Wikipedia, parenting or child-rearing promotes and supports the physical, emotional, social, spiritual and cognitive development of a child from infancy to adulthood. Parenting refers to the intricacies of raising a child and not exclusively to a biological relationship. Those children who are lucky enough to have parents living with them can get care and love from their own/biological parents. But orphaned/abandoned children receive parental care from non-parent blood relations: NGOs, governments and society.
In the lives of young children, parents are among the most important people. From birth, children learn and rely on mothers and fathers, as well as other caregivers acting in the parenting role, to protect and care for them and to chart a trajectory that promotes their overall well-being. The long-standing assumption that parents assert a direct and powerful influence on their children through the process of socialization has permeated research and theory on human development as well as most cultural belief systems. If children turn out well, it is to the parents’ credit; if they turn out badly, it’s the parent’s fault.
The developmental tasks most important to children change as they mature. For example, for an infant, an important developmental issue is attachment, whereas a salient task for a toddler is individuation. Because of the enormous flexibility of the human nervous system during the early years, this period offers unparalleled opportunities for learning and development, which are best supported by an enriched but not pressured environment. In the first few months of life, parenting focuses on the provision of basic care, ideally from a warm and responsive caregiver. The caregiver’s sensitivity to the child’s cues helps the child learn basic regulation and predicts the security of the child’s attachment to the caregiver, which becomes organized toward the end of the first year. In the second year of life, the utterly dependent infant becomes the passionately autonomous toddler, inviting increasing opportunities for discipline. Early and middle childhood brings new challenges as children move farther out into the world. School adjustment and peer relationships become central, and here too children benefit from parents who are involved and supportive. Adolescence is more challenging in that parents need to present themselves as a friend to their children.
Here are nine steps for increasing the effectiveness of parenting:
Boost Your child’s self-esteem:
Parents’ tone of voice, body language and every expression are absorbed by their kids. Parents’ words and actions affect their developing self-esteem more than anything else.
Catch kids being good:
Parents should make a point of finding something to praise their children every day.
Set limits and be consistent with your discipline:
In house, establishing house rules helps kids, understand your expectations and develop self-control. For example, of rule is: no TV until homework is done.
Make time for your kids:
Even in your busy schedule if you make time for your kids; they’ll definitely know that you truly love them.
Be a good role model:
Respect, friendliness, honesty, kindness, and tolerance can be learned by parents. Hence, children also learn unselfish behavior.
Make communication a priority:
To become a good parent, one always takes quality time for children daily.
Be flexible and willing to adjust your parenting style:
According to the child’s nature, parents should be aware of what type of parenting style should be applied.
Show that your love is unconditional:
To create a unique bond with children, parents should render unconditional love for their children.
Know your own needs and limitations as a parent:
This will help create sound feelings within you as a parent which furthermore helps children to make their parents their living God.
The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect People’s Review’s editorial stance.
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