Are you a good parent?

Look around at TV and social media and you can see lots of examples of amazing parenting. At times it can make your own efforts feel insufficient, that you aren’t good enough, but you are. If you care enough to worry if you are a good parent then you are doing a good job.

The truth is we rarely see the full reality of other people's parenting. We see the glossy bits, the bits people show in public, but behind closed doors? That’s often a secret.

A person holding a book called "Parenting"
Do you ever wonder how you can be a good parent?

If you are still worried you aren't a good parent...

It is normal for parents to:

  • get annoyed with their children
  • want a break
  • not know what to do in every situation
  • need help at times

It is normal for children to (at times):

  • ignore their parents
  • throw tantrums
  • say they hate their parents
  • push boundaries

None of these mean you are a bad parent. 

If you are unsure what to do:

Trust your gut - when advice doesn’t feel right then it’s probably isn't right for your family.

Be informed - when approaching something new it’s good to find out different approaches: ask friends, ask family, ask Google. Take all that information in, check the facts and then? Trust your gut.

If you are feeling like you have had a particularly bad parenting day try these 2 steps to reconnect:

Take a 5 minute break (if you can) to breathe and reset.

Spend 5 minutes totally focused on your child/children: look at them, make eye contact, show interest in what they are doing. Without interruption spend 5 minutes following their lead.

Then be gentle on yourself and remember that this too will pass.

2 comments

  1. I think I am a good parent on the whole but don't get me wrong there are days when I think I am the worst especially when my girls are pushing their boundaries and ignoring me. x

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  2. I love these tips. I definitly have days that are harder than others. Whenever I'm going through non parenting issues I find parenting especially hard and with little ones sometimes I feel as though there's more bad parenting days than not. I often do the tip you suggested which is to take a 5 minute break. I usually leave the kids in a room then go read a chapter of my book to calm down.

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