Nowadays, parents have been making many mistakes that affect their children dramatically. These mistakes could seem trivial, but they actually do more harm than one expects.

Kids depend on their parents and their environment to teach them the necessary life skills needed for the home, school, and the outside world. 

There are 5 easy steps to better parenting. Many parents can change simple factors in their daily life to help their children develop physically and mentally. If you are interested in knowing these steps, continue reading.

5 Steps to Better Parenting

●      Create a Well-Balanced Play and Sleep Schedule

Children need a well-balanced sleep and play schedule. Schedules help children feel safe. Children love familiarity and by knowing what to expect in their day, they become calmer and happier.

Creating schedules also indirectly disciplines children. Your child needs to understand that they are expected to do certain things at certain times and follow rules.

By creating a sleep schedule, you and your child would get better sleep. I personally follow the moms on call schedule. Sleep schedules will become easier as your children’s bodies get used to sleep and wake times. This will help them grow healthily. You would also get uninterrupted sleep by following the sleep schedule day after day.

●      Trust Your Children

Trust your child. Tell them what is wrong and what is right, then watch. Children need to be able to make choices on their own. Over-monitoring children are one of the biggest parenting mistakes.

Give your children the freedom they need to learn from their mistakes. If they make a mistake, talk to them about it and tell them what they did wrong.

If you over-monitor your child, they will feel untrusted. If you want your child to be able to come to you and tell you everything, trusting them is a major step towards that.

Trust your instinct in knowing when to interfere and when not to. Sometimes, if your child’s life is at risk, you must interfere and over-monitor.

●      Share Sensitive Information with Your Child

Parents hide things from their children because they think their children are not ready for it or are too young. Sometimes, that is true. But, that does not mean you should hide information all the time and forever.

Most of the time children find out things on their own, and this negatively affects the relationship between them and their parents. You need to make a good decision on when and how to tell children different types of life-changing information.

For example, some parents hide the fact they are going to get divorced. Your child should know that, but when the divorce is finalized or a definite matter. Also, some parents hide the fact they are pregnant. Your child should know that not from the very start of the pregnancy but when you are in your second trimester because losing the child may affect them negatively.

●      Recognize their Feelings

Children tend to find difficulty in expressing their feelings. They may cry a lot, and you may even think they are a bit dramatic.

Do not underestimate their feelings. You must show them that their feelings matter and that you care about how they feel.

By doing this, they will be able to confide in you. You would be able to influence their decisions and show them that you would always be there for them.

In contrast, if you do not recognize their feelings, they will always feel that their emotions do not matter. This may influence their actions in school when problems rise among their peers.

●      Praise You Child

When your child does something right, praise them. Always look for the positive things they do, and show them you recognize them. Never compare them to other children.

They need to be confident that they are perfect the way they are. By doing this, they will grow up to be successful, independent, and confident adults. Your child needs to be able to express themselves positively and be comfortable in their own skin. By accepting themselves, others will recognize their worth and respect them.

Recognizing their worth is a very important skill they need in life, especially when searching for careers or confronting someone who belittles them.

In Conclusion

Parents commit major mistakes that negatively influence their kids. They must try to prevent these mistakes in order to help their children grow up to their utmost potential.

However, by following steps, parents can raise healthy and happy children. These steps may seem very simple, but they have a great influence on the development of children’s minds.

Parenting is a major factor in who our children become. It could be very difficult, but following certain steps and tricks, it is possible to parent effectively.

About the Author

Halimeh Salem is the founder of the Crying Toddlers Blog. She loves helping moms overcome the obstacles they may face during the journey of pregnancy and motherhood. During her free time, she loves playing with her two children, Sama and Basem.