There are many words to describe being a parent. There's the unconditional all encompassing love for your children; the pride you feel as they learn and grow; the challenges of friendships and school, the constant worry and the sleepless nights!
With many parenting hurdles to overcome, how do we communicate so children understand, how do we discipline at the right level, how do we give children confidence, how do we show we love them and how do we manage a household with less yelling and fighting?
Here's 5 Top Tips on being a positive parent and maintaining a close, loving relationship with our children, as individual as they are.
• Positive communication
Support your child by listening to their opinions as a member of your family and by explaining your family values
• Positive discipline
Focus your child on what they do right by rewarding them; have clear rules about naughty or unsafe behaviour with a consistent consequence system
• Positive confidence
Motivate your child to cooperate and become more considerate by giving them descriptive praise when they get things right
• Positive love
Help your child manage their feelings by talking about excitability, frustration and anger so they develop a close bond with you
• Positive calm
Structure your life so that when children challenge you can access your skills in keeping calm. Also, understand the developmental stages and temperament of your child to see whether your expectations are realistic.
Of course these top 5 tips are a mere snapshot of outlining of being a positive parent!
There are many other hurdles to overcome but it is important to recognise that it is possible to learn skills which enable parents to deal with unwanted behaviour - in a positive way.
Other hurdles for new parents and parents with children going to nursery and school are often around anxiety, bed wetting, bullying, concentration, confidence, co-operation, creativity, education, fear, fussy eating, goals, health, nail biting, night