8.5 Tips On Surviving Parenthood

 3 min read

 1. Empathise with your children’s feelings and at the same time hold the line that requires them to be responsible.

 2. Consider your own maturity as the parent and commit to grow in areas where perhaps holding the line is difficult or expressing empathy is not comfortable . Parents with healthy boundaries produce children with healthy boundaries.

 3. Discover the love languages of your children in order to fill their love tank so that they can do life effectively, because love is fuel.

 4. Teach them how to give a “no” kindly and to receive another’s “no”, respectfully and securely, and that “no“,

…is a necessary and healthy word.

5. Show them how to care for others while at the same time look after their own needs, not losing control of themselves.

This is done by modelling and instruction.

 6. Use consequences that are age appropriate, that match the severity of the misbehaviour and that motivate the child to want to do what is required . Consequences are the best teachers of reality.

 7. Know what you are aiming for. We are then more likely to see ourselves as effective parents and to move in that direction.

8. Remember that the goal is LOVE and that LOVE has two essential components that must be held together and understood by the child who is growing up to be an adult.

8.5. (Here is a little word equation to help with that).

LOVE = Freedom + Responsibility ( held together)