6 Positive parenting Tips for school going students

 6 Positive parenting Tips for school going students                                           

                                     

Parenting is the easiest thing in the world to have an opinion about, but the hardest thing in the world to do”- Matt Walsh

These lines beautifully explain the journey of child rearing isn’t it. There are many phases in parenting which are crucial for a child’s life, one of them is going to school. Going to school is a huge change for a child. It is the first place where kid has to go independently without parents. School, where kids spend most of their time, later becomes second home for them. Therefore it is very important for parent to support kids in adjusting to this vital phase in their lives. Check out these 6 Positive Parenting Tips for school going children:

‘How was your school?’ ‘What did you do today?’ ‘Did you finish lunch?’ the moment kid reaches home mother bombards these questions isn’t it? Mostly the responses are mmm.., or yes/no or maximally one line. As a result mothers get anxious and kids not interested. So dear mothers take a break, welcome your child with a smile not with questions. Let him/her settle at home. Then  may be at evening snack time  you can ask indirectly, ‘how was your tennis class today’ (talking about child’s hobby or favorite subject). Or you can ask what did you enjoy at school?

Don’t repeat questions if child does not want to answer even then its fine. Sometimes poking to much can make child defiant.

Teachers are like guardians to children in school. So team up with them. These days schools have parent teacher interaction days you can talk about your child and explain about his behavior. Teachers can also share inputs and together you and teacher can work towards better growth and learning of child.

One of the crucial steps in positive parenting is to give importance to your child’s opinion or thought. Have good conversation with your child, that means just listen to them Don’t laugh or ignore considering it trivial. E.g. your daughter is crying because her doll’s arm is broken. You might find it funny but show concern and console her. Her doll is most prized possession for her, like diamonds or I phones are for you.

Respect your child feelings and listen to them. Your listening will assure them that you care for them and support them. This will not only strengthen your relation with child but also give your child new confidence.

Mothers please note that parents should never hit child. Do you know children who are slapped or hit are more prone to hit others and have tendency to be aggressive? Avoid using harsh words like stupid, nonsense. Instead of confronting child with questions like ‘Why did you do this?’ you can ask ‘What happened? Kids are very sensitive so avoid using harsh language. Aggression is no solution to any problem, talk to your child, there are other ways to discipline like ‘time out’.

Best parenting tip would be to encourage your child to eat healthy right from young age. If child stays healthy then he would be able to concentrate better and perform well too. Food habits that develop in young age stay for lifetime. So please ensure child follows healthy eating habits. Instead of chips and cookies for snack break you can give fruits or bowl of nuts. Dairy products are a must for this growth and development phase of childhood. (For more details please refer to article understanding food pyramid for kids).

Make your kids self- reliant it is very important for their all-round development in school. If your child is small, let him/her take responsibility of simple tasks, like packing toys after playing, arranging book shelf, and helping in setting up dinner table. Depending on age of your child you can delegate tasks. Support them but don’t work for them. Like let your child eat herself, let her soil dress or table cloth. This will make her independent in eating and moreover child will eat as per her appetite.

Encourage them if they do well, pat them even if they have tried their level best. These gestures will give them confidence to perform in other tasks too.Controlling lives of children too much or interfering too much can make children dependent.

There cannot be any rule book or guide for positive parenting tips as each child is different and different families have different parenting styles and every parent nurtures children as per their own understanding. These are certain tips which could be of some help, as they have helped me. So as a mother I am sharing these with my fellow mothers.