For most of us, it can be a hard road to navigate parenting, and for our kids to navigate growing up. We always want what we think is best for them, but a lot of ideals that we have in our heads don’t always translate well in the real world. We set limitations on our children without even realizing it.
Letting Your Children Grow
There can oftentimes be too many ways to go about teaching things. What is technically a good thing can sometimes make it harder to get your point across. Raising children can be done in so many different ways, but at the end of the day, their mental health is what is most important. Nurturing children can have so many positive associations with it. There have been countless studies done to show the importance of socializing and loving connections during critical phases of childhood. The hard part is knowing when and how your actions are perceived, and what you really wanted to get across.
Fostering Growth
One of the easiest ways of bringing compassion to your kid’s life is to foster their creativity. Too often, children end up feeling muted or not able to express themselves. Making sure your children feel comfortable enough to voice their opinions and make creative choices or thinking is a great way to foster positive emotions into adulthood. The world is constantly changing and people need to be able to roll with the punches and adapt, and being able to think creatively and critically are key factors in this.
Giving Kids Opportunities
Whenever your children come to you with frustrations or questions, be receptive to give them the best answer you can think of. We all don’t have the answers as parents (and let’s be honest, as people), but we can let them know that it’s alright to not know the answers, but to keep seeking it out. They don’t have to align with your viewpoints after all, and can form their own assumptions or answers on their own too. Letting your kids take the reins on their own mind and values is key for them to grow and enter the world in a positive light when they enter adulthood. Giving them the tools to find out the answers in life on their own is the best gift a parent can give to their children!
Katie Kyzivat