If you had, to sum up, parenting in a single phrase, what would you choose?
Perhaps you would say that parenting is about compromise. It’s about balancing your own life with that of your child, making sure you find happiness together and build something that’s worth having. It’s about making compromises and being happy to do so, as you know you’re creating a future that you can both be proud of.
Or perhaps you would choose the word love. The love goes both ways, the unique bond between parent and child that is unlike anything else on this planet. The very definition of unconditional love, a love that is so innate that once you feel it, you can’t imagine it not being a part of your life.
Or maybe you think of the word encouragement. Parenting is about bringing forth a life into the world and encouraging it to be the best it can be, with all the love and support that you can offer.
The reality is that parenting cannot be defined by a simple phrase; it tends to be a combination of the three above and much more besides. However, the word encouragement is an interesting one, as it helps to define the role a parent has. You are a caregiver, but you are also the fundamental support structure in your child’s life.
It, therefore, follows naturally that you want to do the very best that you can buy them. You want to give them every advantage you can manage, helping to boost them up into a life they adore. You want to be the parent who smiles at their adult child and thinks: yes, I did a good job.
While there is no foolproof plan to getting it “right”, it’s worth looking at the areas you can help encourage your child – for their benefit, and for yours.
Encourage Them To… Read
Photo Credit: Pexels
Reading is a beneficial pursuit for all ages, but especially for young, impressionable, imaginative minds. Nowadays, we’re more likely to look for outside stimuli to entertain us – but for children, that’s not necessary. Their imaginations are there, waiting to be stimulated, and a love of books is one of the best ways you can encourage this. Read with them, encourage them to read by themselves, and let them explore worlds other people have created as they begin to create their own.
Encourage Them To… Step Outside
Photo Credit: Pexels
We spend too much of our lives inside out of necessity, and the modern “digital native” children will be more insular than ever. Instilling a love of nature is good for mental health, and also offers the chance for a respect for the planet and others to be nurtured. If you have a dog, go for regular walks to new locations, or teach your kids to ride a bike so they can explore new settings.
Encourage Them To… Craft
Photo Credit: Pexels
Crafting has numerous benefits for children. It encourages that imagination that is always thirsty for new things, as well as helping develop their fine motor skills and planning abilities. There’s something wonderful for a child who is able to come up with an idea for a project and then nurture it through to completion – with you encouraging them all the way.