Every good parent wants their children to feel happy and healthy as often as possible, but half of it comes down to how a child was raised. You are the nurture part of the nature vs nurture, which is why you have such a crucial role in your children’s well-being.
Raising a whole other person is a terrifying prospect, especially as we are all filled with faults and flaws of our own. We can only try our best, but it does help when we get input from specialists and others who are more experienced in pediatric professions. You can then take what resonates and leave what does not.
With that in mind, this piece is going to take a look at some top tips for parents so you can raise your children to be as happy and healthy as possible.
Keep Your Own Mental Health in Check
Your children look to you for cues on how they should see the world and how they should treat themselves, and aside from the genetic component of mental health issues, there are learnt behaviours too.
If you have a negative body image, your child is going to pick up on that and learn that is how they should see their body too. The same goes for your outlook on life and any compulsive or anxious habits.
Keeping your own mental health in check, treating yourself with kindness, and treating yourself how you would want your children to treat themselves, is the first step to being a nurturing role model.
Focus on Emotional Intelligence
It is no secret that in the world there is a lot of value placed on academic intelligence, test scores, and other knowledge based assessments. While this is important for your children’s upbringing, emotional intelligence plays a significant part too.
Emotional intelligence includes:
- Empathy
- Self-awareness
- Self-management / emotional regulation
- Adaptability
- Relationship management
Be There to Lend a Non Judgemental Ear
Instead of your children being terrified to come to you in the moment they need you, creating a safe space so they know that they can share with you, can make all the difference to their quality of life.
This is true for a multitude of reasons. Not only can it be bad for mental health to try and keep worries and troubles to yourself, but your children might also need adult advice, as their brains are not fully developed to make certain decisions or understand certain emotions.
If a child thinks they are going to be in trouble, they are far more likely to keep their mouth closed, than to confide in their parents. This is usually when they need to speak to them the most.
Creating that dynamic where your child can speak to you without judgement can improve their quality of life, by just knowing you’re there.
If you do feel like you could benefit from professional help, you could chat to some parent specialists to help you get the most out of raising your children.
