Would you like to know the secret to how you can become a successful parent? Author and pediatrician Marianne Neifert offers what she calls her 7 Secrets of Successful Parents in the April 2000 issue of Parenting. Read on to find out what they are.
(1) Provide unconditional love and encouragement to your child
Strive to make your children feel cherished by simply giving them your time and attention. It can be as simple as reading a book, playing or just talking together. Also, show your kids that you value what they have to say by really listening when they talk to you.
(2) Make your kids a high priority
This may mean having to say no to others more often but it does not mean being a martyr or a superwoman. You still need time for yourself but you also want to make your role as a parent high on your list of priorities.
(3) Strengthen your team
By this the author means agreeing beforehand with your partner on important issue like rules and discipline. Each parent can handle the day-to-day routine matters as they see fit.
(4) Discipline consistently
You’ve probably heard this one before but I’ll say it again anyway— the best way to teach children right from wrong is to set clear limits and enforce them consistently.
(5) Teach responsibility
As parents we have the responsibility to teach our kids that they are responsible for the choices they make as well as the consequences of those choices. In doing so, we teach them self-reliance.
(6) Use routines as a way to create togetherness
Rituals provide kids with a sense of security. For smaller kids, it can mean going to the park each day at the same time. Older kids might look forward to eating out each month. These rituals also provide the “social glue that bonds one generation to another, creating many of the special anchor memories within a family”.
Finally, (7) Take time to recharge
The author points out that sleep deprivation, isolation and self-neglect can leave parents feeling physically depleted, emotionally discouraged and ineffective. Parents have to learn to take time for themselves to recharge and energize. Let’s face it, we’re not that little pink bunny that keeps going and going and going….
See also:
Tips for Effective Family Meetings