Good Parenting Tips - Essay Example

Introduction Parenting is an essential aspect in child development. Parents need to portray good parenting behaviors so as toensure their children behave well in the society. Good parenting fosters understanding, kindness, cheerfulness, honesty, cooperation and self-reliance among children. It is, therefore, important for parents to demonstrate good parenting behaviors that guide and protect children from mischievous behaviors such as eating disorders, drug and alcohol abuse and anti-social behaviors. Demonstration of these skills is, however, not easy. Most parents are still using traditional and outdated parenting skills to raise their children. These skills have proved to be ineffective. For a parent to be good, there are a number of tips that he or she needs know. This paper, therefore, looks at good parenting tips and what makes a good parent. Good parenting tips An effective and very essential tip for good parenting is showing love, not only for the children, but also among the parents. Children do always feel better when they are brought up with parents who love each other. Parents should, therefore, work hard on their love first so as to build a loving family. They should avoid engaging in activities such as dishonesty, alcoholism and domestic violence that might make them unhappy, stressed up and frazzled. It is important for parents to know the fact that children do always copy several stuffs from their elders. Therefore, they need to be the best role model for happiness and healthy adulthood (Swindol 94). Parents need to ensure that their marriage is strong enough to bring the family together. Children need both parents for better development. Therefore, marriage that experiences divorce and separation cases will negatively affect the development of children. In order to practice good parenting, it is essential for parents to put their marriage first before anything else. Parents can strengthen their marriage by developing trust between themselves, being honest to one another, loving each other and being able to sacrifice for better development of family relationship (Swindol 150). Therefore, good parenting is about having happy marriage that children will be pleased with and use the observed partnership as a model for their relationships in future. Another tip for good parenting is ensuring that quality time is given to children. Many parents do always believe that spending a lot of time with their children will interfere with their development and even make them docile (Sukh 17). Creating time for children is very essential for their development. Many parents who are working do always find it hard to create time for their children. Majority of these parents do believe that good parenting is about giving children a lot of cash, which is not true. Good parenting is about creating enough time for the children. No matter how hard the condition might be, parents should ensure that they create time for their children so as to give them their tender care and love. Sukh argues that the stronger the relationship among parents and their children, the better opportunities for effective parenting (18). Sukh highlights that children like being close to their parents and no excuses or any kind of explanation will convince them about the absence of their parents (19). Availability of parents makes children develop powerful sense of worth. It also makes children to understand that they are loved. Parents’ availability makes children know how they are loved. The sense of being loved or wanted is very essential for children’s psychological development (Sukh 19). Therefore, as a good parenting tip, parents should try their best to always have quality time with their children. How to be a good Being a good parent can be attained in a number of ways. As a parent, it is essential to avoid criticizing children and instead, praise them always. Praising children normally makes them strong and confident in everything they involve in. Confidence can be developed among children by avoiding comparing them with either their peers or neighbors. Children need to understand that every child is unique and blessed differently. It is, therefore, important to embrace their variations and inject in them the need and willingness to attain their dreams and interests. Doing all these will make a child avoid developing an inferior character and instead, to be very confident. It is, therefore, the responsibility of a parent to make children understand that character variation is a normal thing. Children need to be taught how to develop and follow good principles so as to avoid peer group pressure. At their tender age, children need to be taught right from wrong so as to make them capable of deciding alone (Kidder 170). As mentioned earlier, criticizing children makes a person a bad parent. To be a good parent, it is important to concentrate on a child’s behavior rather than criticizing him or her. According to Fontenelle, a good parent should be ready to correct his or her child when misbehaving. For instance, if a child acts badly, as a good parent, it is important to inform him or her that such behavior is bad and quickly suggest an alternative good behavior. It is also important to be kind and assertive when informing children about their wrong doing (130). To be a good parent, it is essential to be consistent. Parents should develop rules and principles that can be applied evenly among children. The rules and principles should be intended to bring happiness and productive life among family members. Communication is also an essential aspect in good parenting. A good parent needs to know how to communicate clearly. Parents need to be open and clear to their children about the consequences of particular actions. Every time a parent punishes his or her child, it is important to let the child know the reason for their punishment (Kidder 220). A good parent should be a role model to children. Kidder argues that children resemble sponges. Children do always learn first and their behavior can easily be changed by things happening around them (219). Parents need to know that a child character is greatly determined by his or her parents. Therefore, as a child’s first role model, parents should be sensitive to what they say and how they behave when their children are around. Parents need to make sure that their behaviors are presentable on the eyes of their children. For example, if a parent intends to teach his or her child about chores, it is important to schedule the task and allow them to assist. It is believed that the earlier a child learns how to help, the longer he or she will be willing to work. Apart from being a role model, a good parent should also be involved in children’s life. Even though involvement in children’s life seems to be hard, parents need to sacrifice a lot to ensure effective involvement. Participation in a child’s life normally needs time and great effort. Parents need to rethink and rearrange their priorities before engaging in their child’s life. Sacrificing for children’s needs is therefore very important. Parents need to direct their children on how to conduct their studies and relate with other people (Fontenelle 310). Conclusion To conclude, there are several tips for good parenting. An effective and very essential tip for good parenting is showing love, not only for the children, but also among the parents. Children do always feel better when they are brought up with parents who love each other. Another tip for good parenting is ensuring that quality time is given to children. Creating time for children is very essential for their development. Children like being close to their parents and no excuses or any kind of explanation will convince them about the absence of their parents. It is also clear from the discussion that there are a number of ways that can make a person a good parent. Being a good parent can be attained through praising children and avoiding criticizing them. A good parent should be consistent. He or she should act as an example to the kids. A good parent should also get involved in children’s life. Works Cited Fontenelle, Don. How to Be a Good Parent: By Dealing Effectively with the Most Common Behavioral Problems of Children. New York: Pelican Pub Co Inc, 2009. Print. Kidder, Rushworth M. Good Kids, Tough Choices: How Parents Can Help Their Children Do the Right Thing. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass, 2010. Print. Sukh, Shammi. Precious Tips on Parenting. New York: St Pauls BYB, 2010. Print. Swindoll, Charles R. Parenting: From Surviving to Thriving: Building Strong Families in a Changing World. New York: Thomas Nelson Inc, 2008. Print. Read More