Raising children is the most important job you’ll ever have. Doing it right requires vast amounts of patience and effort, but the result is great: responsible kids who will also go on to be great parents.
Be There
It sounds too simple to work, but showing your children they’re your top priority instills in them the confidence to explore their world, even if that’s only kindergarten class. You can demonstrate this by giving them your undivided attention and stopping what you’re doing to listen. If you promise to attend a recital or soccer game, show up on time. Let them know they can come to you anytime for any reason, and be happy when they do.Be Open and Accepting
It’s likely that either your parents or those of friends might have been quick to offer negative comments about outfits, activities, friends, and pretty much everything else. It’s normal for kids to develop their own taste in friends and sense of style, all of which will change frequently. Unless the outfit is wildly inappropriate or the friends are 10 years older and clearly bad influences, take a deep breath and think back to when you did the same thing.Have the Hard Conversations
It sounds great to be your child’s best friend, but one of the best ways to prepare them for the reality of the world is by helping them develop the ability to make proper decisions. This means having to broach subjects including sex, alcohol, and drugs. By paying attention to them and addressing questionable behavior, you may be able to keep them pointed in the right direction. A parent who wants to be their child’s friend might not risk telling the child “no,” even when that is the best advice.Help Them Develop Respect
The attitude of “my child is the most wonderful child ever and can do and have whatever he/she pleases with zero consequences” will, sooner or later, backfire. Nobody wants to be around an entitled child who expects everything to be handed to them. On a related note, let them work for their first car or a new snowboard or weekly allowance. A part-time job that doesn’t interfere with schoolwork is a time-proven technique for teaching children how to manage money and be responsible.Be a Good Role Model
Teaching by example would be one of the first things taught in Parenting 101, if there were such a course. Children are smart and most don’t miss a thing. If you’re preaching the evils of alcohol or drugs, yet have wild backyard parties every weekend, they'll soon learn to disregard whatever you say. Teaching them by using your own mistakes as examples, with a clear explanation of how you resolved them, is a better way for them to learn to respect you and your suggestions.
