Good Parenting requires long-term thinking and planning. Every interaction with your child is an opportunity for growth and it is important to act according to a long-term strategy instead of finding short-term fixes.
Parents are the role models to child(ren). Consciously, or sub-consciously, we keep feeding data to the minds of our children, without being mindful about it. Thus, effective parenting includes changing our behaviour as well!
We can work together to solve your issues with your child(ren), be they in any age group. I follow different approaches with children of different age-groups, as each bracket has a different requirement.
Research has proved that most of the personality traits get embedded in the brain by the time a child is 5 years of age. Parenting has a major role to play in determining what kind of an adult a child grows up to be. The kind of parenting one receives in childhood will have a long term impact that lasts one’s entire lifetime.
Thus, this is the most important phase of life which can make or break a child’s future. We can work together to effectively deal with your child’s behaviour by consciously laying a strong foundation. This can be achieved by discussing how to connect, compliment and communicate with your child while mindfully getting comparisons and criticism out of our systems.
This phase determines the child’s academic growth, inquisitivenessand their first experience of independence. Along with this, the child starts to experience social and emotional issues andgets exposed to safety aspects too.
The child starts to attend regular school and makes new friends, thus beginning a journey of social and emotional changes. At this age, the child develops reason and logic and starts to firm up on likes and dislikes. This is the most impressionable age where the child still loves the safety of their own home and likes to spend time with the family.At this age, the child will exhibit his / her traits and abilities which would need to be understood by the parents to channelise the child’s energy.It is an ideal time for appropriate interventions by parents for long term gains by everyone.
“Neither here, nor there” - this is the dilemma faced by all teenagers. Coupled with the hormonal changes, life becomes a roller coaster ride. The bodily changes bring along anxiety, and mis-information in cyberspace, which is just a click away, adds to the confusion. Social activities and exposure play a major role during these years. Depression, bullying, social media addiction, drug / substance abuse are common issues faced during these years. Consider this – in India, more than 63% teens consume some or the other type of drug / substance! While majority of the parents keep thinking that their child would never do it!
Parents need to wake up!This is the make-or-break phase of a child and as career choice would also happen during this phase of life, a child should never become rudderless. Parents must understand that during this phase, their child would like to spend more time with friends rather than parents. Thus, mindful interventions are required by parents which can do wonders for children by bringing about subtle changes in their own behaviour, outlookand lifestyle.
“We are guilty of many errors and many faults, but our worst crime is abandoning the children, neglecting the fountain of life. Many of the things we need can wait. The child cannot. Right now is the time his bones are being formed, his blood is being made, and his senses are being developed. To him we cannot answer 'Tomorrow.' His name is 'Today'.
- Gabriela Mistral