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Raising Kids

Simple & Easy Tips for Raising Your Kids Right

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Parenting is one of the most difficult and responsible jobs, but it’s also one of the most rewarding ones when done right. It requires a lot of effort, but it’s also necessary in order for your child to grow up into a responsible and mature adult. Of course, there isn’t a detailed guidebook or a recipe on how to do it, and every child is different. However, there are certain things that are guaranteed to benefit your child and set them on the right path. With that in mind, here are a few tips that should help you raise your kids right.

Model the behavior you want to see.

The best place to start when raising your kids is yourself. It’s easy to tell your kids “do as I say, not as I do”, but the thing is, they will still learn more from your behavior than your words. And kids are like sponges, which means that they will absorb everything they see, from how you talk to other people to how you deal with your own emotions. So, be a good role model for your kids, and show them what it means to be a responsible and mature person.

Put your marriage first

People often say that their kids are the most important things in their life, and even though there’s nothing wrong with that, your marriage should never suffer. If you focus too much on your kids and not enough on nurturing your romantic relationship, you’re more likely to raise entitled children who don’t know what a healthy romantic relationship should look like. Remember – kids learn from you, so if you want them to have healthy relationships, you need to show them what that means. Therefore, make sure to hug and kiss your partner often, give each other compliments, and say “I love you” every day. By doing so, you’ll be giving your kids one of the best gifts any parent could give, and that’s the gift of a stable and loving family.

Give them time to play

Kids need time to play – not on tablets and computers but with other kids, outdoors. Playtime is essential for kids because it allows them to develop physically, mentally, and socially. Some studies have even shown that a playful attitude can be linked to better academic performance. So, make sure to find a good playgroup for your child that will engage all their senses. Provide them with a comfortable and dynamic environment in which they can achieve their full potential, and you’re more likely to have a happy child.

Encourage them to think

Many parents try to shield their kids from problems, but this doesn’t really benefit them. It only makes kids more dependent on their parents. So, when the time comes for them to make their own decisions, they are more likely to make mistakes. This is why you should encourage your kids to think for themselves. You can do so by, for example, asking them open-ended questions. You should also let them make their own decisions – on things that are suitable for their age, of course. For instance, you can let them choose what to eat for dinner or what color of the shirt they will wear that day. This way, they would not only gain more confidence but also learn more about themselves and their interests.

Listen actively

Young children talk a lot, and they ask a lot of questions, and sometimes, you’ll be too tired to answer each and every “why” and “how”. However, once they start actually talking, asking meaningful questions, and understanding the answers, it’s essential that you give them your undivided attention. Every question they ask is an opportunity to teach them something, and not just in the form of an answer. The way you talk to them is the way they will one day talk to other people. So, don’t type on your phone while your child is talking to you – show them that human interaction is more important than phones, newspapers, TV, and similar.

Raising your kids takes a lot of dedication and effort, but if you do it right, you can rest assured that it would be worth it. So, consider the listed tips, do some research, spend quality time with your kids, and the results will show sooner than you might think.

Mighty Parent’s: Five Ways to Teach Your Children Responsibility

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One of your close friends has a teenager that mows the lawn without being asked. Your cousin has a five-year-old that wakes up, brushes their teeth and makes their bed, no reminders needed. Where did these amazing children come from?

Generally speaking, one of the most important goals as a parent is to raise children who become independent and self-reliant individuals. Certainly, in a child’s early development stage, your child counts on you. As infants, children rely on you, for nourishments, cleaning, and mobility. As we all know, the more children grow, the more independent they become in basic areas of living, however, they still depend on parents for guidance, protection, and support. As your child reaches adolescence, they become less reliant on you and increasingly capable of taking care of themselves.

The bottom line is that kids will be responsible to the degree that we support them to be. Here are five strategies that will increase your child’s responsibility.

Allow your baby to be dependent on you. To starters, our society typically focuses far too much on trying to make babies independent as if they’re teenagers, but quite simply, it won’t work. Think of your child as a house, or a tree. Without the proper care and the right foundation, you will have problems. Attachment is necessary for a child’s well-being. Leaving your baby withholding affection or human touch, and refusing to feed or comfort them at certain points is non-responsive. In other words, you simply cannot spoil a baby with too much love and you will not create “bad habits” or “clingy children” by responding to them. After all, parents and other caregivers play a direct role in their child’s development. If a child sees their parents being responsible, they too will begin picking up the traits.

Let them help you. Don’t grumble and mope when it’s time to do housework. Instead, look at it from a different point of view and take this opportunity to have your child assist you. Most young children have no idea how much work is involved with running a household. Doing chores, however, builds maturity, makes them less impulsive, and more aware of others perspectives and needs. Remember, children aren’t born with these traits; they develop gradually as children grow and mature. So the next time you’re cleaning the house, let your child take on some of the work. Reinforce the behaviors you want to see more of from your child with praise. If you want your child to learn to stay organized and clean at school, you can begin reinforcing those behaviors in the home. Practice with them in your coat room, play room and the child’s own room. If you’re worried their school locker will be a disaster you can ‘play school’ at home with storage lockers or shelving designed with cubbies and hooks for their books and jackets. Regardless of your technique for teaching your kids responsibility in the home it’s important to remember to start young, be specific and make it fun!

Avoid rewards. At Least at first. There’s a place and time for rewards and allowances. Don’t assume a reward system has to be in place for your child to learn responsibility. With a reward system, the burden often falls on the parent to remind kids to do the necessary tasks. “After the first couple weeks, it doesn’t work very well,” says Christine Carter, the author of “Raising Happiness: 10 Simple Steps for More Joyful Kids and Happier Parents.”

Rewarding children could also prevent them from developing a sense of doing the right thing. Some psychologist refers to this as intrinsic motivation, which is the desire to do something based on enjoyment of the action itself, rather than trying to achieve an outcome or reward.

Teach them consequences. Learning to take care of their things can also help children develop a sense of responsibility for their actions. For instance, if your child is playing with crayons, finger paint, and scissors, let them know if the mess isn’t cleaned up they won’t be able to play their art supplies the next time they ask. Then, as the parent, you need to follow through and take away their supplies if they decide not to clean up the mess. In other words, child. The more you enforce the rules, the more likely they are to listen and clean up without being asked, or at least without crying about it too much.

Another scenario: If your child has to pack their bags for school each day and forgets their gym sneakers, then they won’t get to practice that afternoon. As much as you would like to help them, don’t! Hopefully, they’ll remember to bring it the next time.

Praise them. Kids love to help. As a matter of fact, they want to help. To them, chores don’t feel like work. To ensure they stay positive about doing chores, keep up the enthusiastic vibe by offering specific praises for actions. For example, “Thank you for hanging all the coats up on the hook and I’m proud of you!” or, “Thank you for helping with the dishes and cleaning your room.” Praising your child for their cleaning efforts will help them develop a sense of ownership for their action.

Teaching kids about responsibility isn’t easy. But then again, what part of being a parent is? It can take years and lots of practice, but if you follow through with it, you stand a better chance of raising a responsible adult.

Thanks for reading my article. Did I miss any important steps? What are some other ways parents can ensure they’re raising responsible adults? Feel free to comment below.