How Can You Be The Best Parent To Your Little Ones?

When you have a kid, you want to be the best parent possible, right? You want to make sure that your kids have everything that they need, and you want them to be secure. But, a lot of us feel as though we’re not being the best parents to our kids, and it’s normal to feel this way. It happens to everyone at some point, but you have got to just try to reassure yourself that you are doing the best that you can, and that this is enough.

In this article, we’re going to be looking at some of the things that you can do in order to be the best parent to your little one. If you can say that you are doing everything on this list, or that you are at least trying to do everything on this list to the best of your ability, then you’re a pretty great parent. Keep reading if you’re interested in finding out more.

Practice Patience And Understanding

One of the things that you need to be doing to be the best parent possible is to practice patience and understanding. We know that there are going to be days in which you lose your temper, it’s normal. But, for the most part you are going to need to take a breath and think about the best way to approach a situation that is less than ideal. Being a parent is frustrating more often than it is not, which isn’t exactly a glowing endorsement but it’s definitely worth it. It’s important to slow down a little, and try to remember to be patient while your little one is still learning things. Sometimes patience is the best thing that you can do for someone, in the same way that you would want someone to be patient with you.

If you are struggling with this, then perhaps the best thing that you can do is take a step back and think carefully about the best way to respond. Perhaps not responding straight away is going to be the best idea, giving yourself some time to think through things.

Mental Health First, Always

No matter what is going on around you, mental health should always be the priority for you and your little ones. If this means that they miss a day of school here and there, that’s okay. If that means that they don’t want to talk to certain people who make them feel uncomfortable, that’s okay. If this means that they don’t want to hug or kiss people because it makes them feel uncomfortable, that’s okay. We need to stop pushing social norms on our children, uncaring of the mental toll that it takes on them. Life should not be about how other people perceive you and your children, it should be about taking care of their mental health above all.

If you want to raise happy, secure and confident children, then mental health needs to be a priority. It’s easy to overlook a child’s mental health, but that’s part of the problem. It needs to be taken seriously.

Spend Time With Them Regularly

When they get older, kids are going to remember the people who spent time with them, not who got them the most expensive presents. Too many parents think that they can buy their kids expensive gadgets as a replacement for them when they don’t want to play, or when they can’t be bothered to parent. You are doing far more harm than good by doing this. We’re not saying that you can’t get your kids expensive things, of course you can, but it shouldn’t be in place of spending time with them.

Sometimes it can be tough to find time with your kids if you’re working a lot, or if they are out with their friends, at school, activities they like and so on. As such, the best thing that we can suggest is that you set aside time to spend with your kids every week. Perhaps on a friday night for example, you can do a games night, or a movie night. Look into the best card game that you can find and try this out, pick movies together, talk about your days, and generally just work on maintaining your bond.

Show Up For Them 

Arguably the most important thing that you can do for your kids is show up for them. We promise you that they need a present parent more than they need anything else. They need you to show up when they need you whether this is because they have gotten in trouble, because they just need someone to talk to, someone to come to their sports games and so much more. They need to know that you are there, supporting them every step of the way, even when they mess up, and they are definitely going to mess up.

Being one of those parents who just ignores their child’s behavior, and doesn’t take an interest in the things that they love will break the bond that you have. They will act out, and they will seek validation elsewhere, which often doesn’t turn out too great.

Take An Interest In The Things They Love

It’s not your kid’s job to take an interest in the things that you love, but it is your job to take an interest in the things that they enjoy. If you want to do things with them and keep them happy, then it’s a good idea to do things that you know they love. Whether you like them or not is irrelevant, it’s about finding ground with your kids, and getting to spend this extra time with them. For example, if they love playing video games, then perhaps you can learn to play a game or two so that this is something you can do together. If they love pokemon cards, let them talk to you about the cards, and put effort into finding ones they need for their collection etc. 

It’s not a hard thing to do, and it will bring your kids a lot of joy, which should always be your main goal.

Support Their Learning 

Your kids are going to make a lot of mistakes in life, just like you have and will continue to do going forward. It’s important that you are doing your best to support all types of learning for your kids. Sometimes this is going to mean that you need to sit with them and help them with their homework or things that they don’t understand academically. Other times it’s going to mean standing back and letting them make their own mistakes in life, allowing them to learn some of life’s lessons the hard way. You can support them and give your advice, but you have to let them make their own decisions.

Be as hands on as you can, supporting their growth in all different ways to raise a well adjusted child.

Hopefully, you have found this article helpful, and now see some of the ways that you can be the best parent possible to your little ones. If you practice the things that we have mentioned on this list, you will know that you are being the best parent possible to your kids going forward. It’s not about money, it’s not about material possessions or how many holidays you can go on per year. At the end of the day, your kids are going to remember who was there for them, who showed up for them, and who did whatever it took to give them the best life possible.