As it turns out, it's often the seemingly minor parts of life that often make the biggest impact on a child's life, ultimately providing them with a lifetime of positive childhood memories.
A person's childhood serves as the foundation for their life as an adult. It's not uncommon for people to remember pivotal memories from their childhood that served to show them just how much their parents cared for them. Often these instances consist of a few encouraging words when they needed it the most, a moment of fun, or simply spending time with their parent and learning an essential life task.
In order for a young person to grow into a stable and successful adult, there are several key areas that parents can focus on with regard to the parent-child relationship. These areas include the mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being of their child. Addressing these areas can be accomplished in a myriad of ways ranging from imparting an important life lesson, tangibly expressing one's faith, or simply being silly and fun together.
Addressing all of these areas will likely take some conscious thought, however it doesn't necessarily require a massive shift in attention away from a parent's other adult responsibilities, as oftentimes child-rearing can be incorporated into a parent's daily responsibilities. In fact, making simple changes in the expression of love for one's child is often all it takes to make a huge impact in a parent-child relationship.
Hugging one's child is probably the most typical expression of affection toward one's child, but there are many other ways to employ physical connection to strengthen the bond between a parent and a child. A special secret handshake, a wink, a pat on the head, or simply making a funny face when interacting with one's child is a great way to create a memorable physical bond.
Rituals are an important part of a child's life as they help to develop a sense of stability, consistency, and faith through the repeated fulfillment of an expectation. Of course, a classic ritual is to read a bedtime story to one's child and there are many benefits to doing so including improving a child's reading skills, allowing them an opportunity to use their imagination by following along with a fairy tale, as well as providing an occasion where a child can simply snuggle with one of their parents.
Children have a different perspective of the world, and they want validation that their perception is okay. There's no better way for a parent to do this than at times to become a child again and participate in life from a child's perspective. This may be as simple as joining them in a fort at night and reading a book by flashlight, or participating in a little girl's tea party once a month. By meeting a child at their own level, parents convey the message that a child's world is a great place to be.
Of course, parents are also charged with teaching their kids about how to become an older child, and eventually an adult. When life gets busy, it's often tempting for parent to try to do everything themselves since they can often do chores faster and better than a child. Rather than cutting corners and simply doing everything however, it's important find a way to get tasks done without shortchanging important teachable moments.
Exercising together is a great way to form bonds through playful competition, in some instances, and it's also a great way to teach children about the importance of staying physically fit. Older children may appreciate a game of basketball or simply throwing a football back and forth in the backyard. For younger kids, there are free exercise videos on YouTube and parents can follow along as well, perhaps showing some of their own favorite exercises. Some families might like weekly dance sessions using a Wii, where kids can learn how to have fun while burning off excess energy.
Multitasking is often one of a parent's best friends during the child-rearing years, and it's a great principle to apply when attempting to strengthen the bond between a parent and a child, while also maintaining a household. Young children especially, love to "help" mom and dad with chores around the house such as loading the dishwasher, baking cookies, and sweeping the floor. The final result of their efforts may not be ideal, but the importance of a parent imparting to their child the knowledge of how to perform basic tasks cannot be overstated. Later on in life, parents can have teachable moments by teaching their child how to sew a button, how to iron a piece of clothing, and how to make up a monthly budget. Simply spending time together by performing tasks around the house also provides important opportunities for kids to share their thoughts with their parents, whether it centers around discussing a great play date they had with a friend, or a concern they are having at school.
Last but by no means least, is the importance of communication between a parent and their child. All of the above interactions, offer opportunities to discuss the day's events, to impart words of wisdom to a child, or words of encouragement. When parents are actively engaging with their child on a regular basis, they are more likely to be able to read their child's unspoken body language and detect whether their child has a need or concern they would like to express, but aren't necessarily able to do so. When a parent makes a sincere effort to spend time with their child, a child is much more likely to feel they can share life's positive moments, as well as the more difficult times with their parents.
If you would like more successful parenting tips, please feel free to contact us; we'll be more than happy to help.
Monday - Friday
8:30 AM - 3:00 PM
Monday - Friday
7:30 AM - 8:30 AM
Monday - Friday
3:15 PM - 5:30 PM
