The Power of Positive Parenting: How to Raise Happy, Successful Kids
SharePinEmailA single mother knows that raising children alone is a challenge. It can sometimes be overwhelming, but I have found that positive parenting can make all the difference in creating a happy, successful home. Whether you’re a single mom or not, these principles can help you foster strong, positive relationships with your children and set…
A single mother knows that raising children alone is a challenge. It can sometimes be overwhelming, but I have found that positive parenting can make all the difference in creating a happy, successful home.
Whether you’re a single mom or not, these principles can help you foster strong, positive relationships with your children and set them up for success in all areas of life. So, join me as we explore the power of positive parenting and how it can better transform your family’s life.
Positive Parenting Tips
Create good practices and routines
Routines are a big part of life. They help us get through the day and make brushing our teeth or going to bed at night easier. Kids need routines too! Routines provide structure and predictability, which helps kids feel safe and secure.
Routines must not be complicated or time-consuming; they must fit into your family’s schedule and lifestyle so everyone can stick with them over time. For example, you decide that every morning before breakfast, you’ll spend five minutes reading together as a family (and then another five minutes after breakfast).
Or there’s a certain way that everyone puts away their toys each night–and if anyone doesn’t follow this routine on any particular day, it means no TV for anyone!
Related: What Developmental Psychology Has to Say About These 4 Parenting Styles
Praise your kids for their efforts, but do just what is necessary
Refrain from discouraging your children from trying; praising their efforts and not just their achievements is essential.
By focusing on their hard work, you encourage them to keep trying and enjoy the learning process. Avoid excessive praise and find a balance to help your children develop healthy self-esteem and a desire to keep growing and learning. So, remember to praise your children for their efforts and watch them blossom into confident individuals.
Related: 10 Ways to Raise Independent Children
Encourage their interests and talents
Please encourage your child to pursue their interests and talents. You don’t need to buy them a piano or sign them up for ballet lessons. Still, you can encourage them to explore different activities and hobbies that they enjoy.
Provide a space where they can be creative, whether at the kitchen table or get them involved in fun art activities. Encourage kids who play sports by attending games, practices, and competitions–and cheering loudly!
Related: The Power of Pets: What Kids Can Learn From Animals
Encourage them to fail and learn from it
The only way to learn is by trial and error. When you fail, you will feel bad about yourself and your abilities, but you mustn’t let that stop you from trying again.
You can help your child learn from their failure by encouraging them not to give up when things don’t go their way. When they do something well or achieve a goal, praise them! But when they have an unsuccessful attempt at something new or challenging?
Related: 7 Small Mindset Shifts to Increase Your Confidence in Parenting
It’s okay if they’re not always perfect–we all make mistakes (and sometimes even fail). If your child fails at something once or twice and keeps trying without giving up on themselves or their goals, they are going down the right path to success!
Related: Single Parenting With a Baby: 10 Tips to Ease Your Top Worries
Let them make mistakes
Allow your kids to make mistakes and learn from them, but keep them from making the same mistake repeatedly. They need time to adjust their behavior before you move on with teaching them something else or giving them more responsibility.
If you have younger children still learning to walk or talk, it’s okay if they occasionally fall because everyone goes through those natural baby steps! As long as they aren’t hurt badly by these falls (and even if they are), try not to get too upset about it because this is just part of growing up for everyone.
Related: How to Know if Your Child Is Getting Enough Playtime
Help them take responsibility for their choices
You may find yourself telling your kids to take responsibility for their choices. You could ask them to stop blaming others or making excuses, or you’ve given them extra chores as punishment for not doing their homework.
While this approach can be effective in the short term, it can also make children feel like they’re being punished for being themselves–and that’s not okay!
When we teach our children how to think about taking responsibility for themselves and their actions, we are helping them develop into adults who know how important it is to live up to their values (not just ours).
Related: Getting Your Kids To Stop Fighting When You’re the Only Parent
Keep the lines of communication open.
The most important thing you can do as a single parent is to maintain an open communication line with your children. You have to talk to them, not to them!
Ask them how they feel about things and listen when they speak. Talking about complex topics with your kids can be scary, but it’s essential. Be bold and have these conversations to keep your kids safe and help them make good choices.
Show your kids how to stick up for themselves
One of the most important things you can do for your kids is to teach them how to stick up for themselves. When someone is mean or uncomfortable, they must know how to handle these situations.
Here are some ways you can teach your child how to stand up for themselves:
- Teach them how to say no in a respectful manner. If someone asks them something that makes them feel uncomfortable or unsafe, help them find ways of saying “no” without offending anyone else involved (like “I’m not sure I want to go there today” or “I don’t think so”).
- Show them how to walk away from conflict situations without causing more drama than necessary–this takes practice! It’s okay if it doesn’t come naturally initially; keep working until it becomes second nature.
Teach children how to avoid conflict by being kinder toward others than we might be inclined toward ourselves!
Positive parenting doesn’t mean you give up on having rules and avoiding conflict with your child.
Positive parenting doesn’t mean you give up on having rules and avoiding conflict with your child. It just means acknowledging the importance of being a role model for your kid and teaching them how to succeed while still being a kid.
Positive parenting means giving them the tools they need to succeed in school and work and letting them have fun and enjoy their childhood as much as possible.
Author bio
Andrea Gibbs is the Content Manager at SpringHive Web Agency, where she helps create content for their clients’ blogs and websites. She is currently a blog contributor at Montessori Academy, a blog dedicated to helping parents with the ins and outs of parenting children within the Montessori tradition. She enjoys spending time with her family and dog when she isn’t writing.