“Raising a child is no child’s play!” While raising your child, as a parent, you tend to follow many different tips & tricks to manage your child’s behaviour, but, sometimes being strict may seem like the only feasible option. However, it is actually with a little affection and a lot of patience, that you can make your child more obedient and respectful.
Becoming your child’s best friend right from the early years, has a deep & long term positive impact on your relationship with her and makes parenting easier for you. Your child has a lot of first time experiences, while growing up. And therefore, she has a lot to talk about, like the new things that she tried, the lessons she learnt & mistakes she made while doing so.
But many times, when your child thinks of sharing her thoughts about her little experiments & learnings or her issues & problems with you, she might wonder as to how you will react. She might fear that you will criticise her or scold her and thus, she will not feel free to express her experiences. So, here are some tips for you which you can use to become your child’s best friend!
Refrain from scolding your child too often: Be it about her bad behaviour with a classmate or poor academic performance in school, a child can quite easily share her feelings with a person who she knows will never scold her and will always support her. So, make your child realise her mistake by talking to her and calmly explain her with examples, what wrong she did. Avoid scolding the child as much as possible.
Talk to your child about your experiences: Two people who have common interests or share their experiences with each other, become friends almost instantly. If your child feels a little hesitant about sharing something with you, take the first step and tell her about what you felt when you had a bad score in the math test or when you made a mistake as a child. This will help you two to get along, effortlessly.
Make your child feel comfortable to express: Create a positive environment at your home in which your child feels comfortable while talking about her fears or worries. Encourage her to share her day at school and the things that she liked and those that she didn’t. Reassure her that you are always with her for any help, guidance and support she needs.
Spend quality time with your child: Dedicate a day to your child. Take her out for lunch, sports or any other activity that allows you to spend some great moments together. Spending quality time with your child provides her with the opportunity to be heard, to learn and to be loved. It allows you and your child to make connections that will last a lifetime.
In the end, remember that besides being your child’s best friend, you are also your child’s mentor and guide.
Happy Parenting!
