Ready or Not?
What Parenting is All About!
Parenting is a Life-long Commitment!
Parents play a vital part as a role model, teacher, disciplinarian, a friend as well as provide love, support, encouragement and security to the child as they grow, develop and mature. A parent is expected to be their most of the time by a child, meaning that they require a lot of your attention and time.
Any Required Skills?
Being a parent to child is a lot of hard work! If you go into this without some basic set of skills, it will be a lot harder and less rewarding than it could be. Some skills required are:
- Good communication skills : being able to talk to your child with an open mind, be assertive yet kind when pointing out things they have done wrong. Be stern but not mean when trying to explain issues.
- Patient : make sure to give your child time to do things at their own pace.
- Provide guidance: be there for them. You have the knowledge and life experiences to lead them in the right direction as they will look to you to help them learn and grow.
- Identify Values: Think about your own values and if those are what you want to instill in your children. Teaching children good morals gives them a life-long gift. Most parents want to see their children exhibit characteristics such as being honest, responsible, friendly, loving and fair. You are the key to this success. Parents have the opportunity to overcome outside stimuli such as peer pressure and society to instill self-discipline, independence and respect.
- Learn as you go: You will already have skills from your own life experiences, but developing additional skills won't happen overnight, it has to be learned, much of which may happen while you are raising your kids. Everyone makes mistakes. Just give it your best!
Factors Influencing Parenting. . .
- Age
- Education
- Gender
- Own up-bringing
- Media
- Nature of relationship
- Culture & Religion
- Neighbourhood
Styles of Parenting
Authoritarian
Strict parenting style, involves high expectations from parents but have little communication between child and parents. Parents don't provide logical reasoning for rules and limits, and are prone to harsh punishments
Democratic
Austhoritative tyle of parenting, parents are attentive, forgiving, teach their offspring proper behavior, have a set of rules, and if child fails to follow their is punishment, if followed their is reward/reinforcement
Permissive
Parents take on the role of "friends" rather than parents, do not have any expectations of child, they allow the child to make their own decisions
Wrong Reasons for Having a Child
- Trying to fill a void
- Repair relationship with partner
- Being pressured by partner
- Everyone else is doing it
- Think its "cool" or "fun"
Good Reasons for Having a Child
- A lot of love to provide
- In a good place to support child
- In a function, long-term, relationship/marriage
- No major baggage