Ten Steps To A Better Parent

Parents should discipline themselves to teach their children about responsibility, motivate them, time to build on their self esteem and make them feel wanted. When your children know that parents are there for them all the time, they would not have time to give in to street gangs, drugs or sex.

The ten steps below are proven sure fire method that works.

1 - Make Time For Your Children

Work on the parents – children relationships. Make time for your child, it greatly influenced their self worth. These days parents spend longer time at work or they are so engrossed with their personal affairs that they forget about their children needs. Parents should take time to learn to listen effectively to their children, it is important to the children else they look outside to those that will listen. Misbehavior often arises due to parental neglect. The misbehavior is a way of getting their parents attention, they don’t like to be ignored.

Children need their parents emotional support, so parents needs to be strong for their children. Sometimes, when children are starved with attention, they would demand it every possible way. To children, it’s their birthright to have their parents attention. They needs your company, it’s has positive effect on the social, emotional and mental growth.

2 -Show You’re Serious

They say action speaks louder than words, this is what you want your children to know about you. Discipline is a must tool here. Instead of nagging or yelling at your kids and leave things undone, your children won’t take you serious. Instead of nagging, always “ask yourself what action would be appropriate to take in this situation” For example, after you must have given your child the instruction to clean up the room, actually go there, and make sure it is done.

3 - Give Them Little Freedom to Express Themselves

Children want to feel that they’re important and of value, make sure you give them little freedom to express themselves. Let them also have a say in house. For example, they can be involved when rules are being made about their limits, they usually don’t like surprise rules. You can sometimes seek their advice, let them have choice, choose the house chore they feel comfortable with, decision about what clothes to wear or what game to play. Parents want to do everything for their children, the result is that they feel unimportant.

4 - Cause and Effect

Sometimes children choose to take certain action then realize that it has negative effect, this is where parents enter or interfere, so they learn what their action has lead them into. Using this techniques allow for reduced stress instead of the nagging and yelling, you allow the consequence of their action do the talking and put the necessary punishment in place. When your child have a case of forgetting, example would be, forgets her lunch, don’t take it to her. Let her find solution and learn the importance of remembering.

5 -Logical Grounding

Often the consequence of a child action, are just too out their league, they would not understand the logic behind the grounding you’re giving them and thus resent your action. The idea behind grounding children to make them realize the negative outcome of what they’ve done. For example, if your child forget to return his video and you ground him for a week, that punishment could cause resentment but if you return the video for him and deduct the money from his allowance or make him work for the money, then, he will realize what he’s being grounded for.

Here is a link to a book that teaches you a stress free way of grounding your children.


6 -Emotion Free

When you child is pushing your buttons through temper tantrum or being angry, because you wouldn’t grant his request, do not show any emotion, it’s best if you leave the place, telling him, you’re in the next room if he wants to try again.

7 –The Deed and The Doer

Never look down on your child, and more importantly, don’t tell them they’re bad, it lowers their self pride. By so doing, you’ll be causing more harm than good. Let them know how you see two different individual, themselves and their bad behavior. It help them a lot when you talk this way, separating their deed from them, they’ll feel empowered to correct their act. No matter what they do, let your love for them be unconditioned. Removing your love from your kid as a way making them realized what they’ve done is not the right way to go. When in doubt, ask yourself how your action will affect his self esteem.

8 -Be Open and Firm

When you give your child instruction to follow, let him know how serious you’re and when you’re in making sure the instruction is carried out, do so in a loving manner. Make sure whatever you do with your children, be firm with them yet loving in making sure your instructions are carried out.

9 -Picture The End in Mind

You should have the end in mind of how your want your children to look like when they’ve become adults. When you set goals like this for your children, you will be thoughtful in applying your parenting skills. The wanting your children behave a certain way now, will make your children will overpowered and this could cause them to be rebellious.

10 -Follow Ups

When you’ve made it clear to your children what they can and cannot have, make sure you follow through, no matter their pleas or cries. Children have a way of testing their parents to see if they’re really what they’ve preaching. You’re building a model for them to follow, and they will respect you for practicing what you preach.

Good luck with parenting, as you apply these ten steps.