Let’s face it – we have all questioned our parenting style at one time or another. Are we parenting correctly? Were we firm enough? Did we say the right things? Are they listening? Am I doing a good job parenting?
Well maybe that’s just in my household! Parenting is trial and error with lots of prayers and grace along the way. We try to encourage good morals, give instructions, provide wisdom, sound advice and guidance, show unconditional love, show support, encouragement and forgiveness (for ourselves and towards our children) along this journey we call parenting and motherhood.
Unless you are God or super perfect – we are all here still trying to figure it all out! This post contains helpful tips and conversation starters for first-time parents, parents of little ones through adolescent children and seasoned parents of emerging adult children and beyond. Without a doubt, I believe we can all learn, adapt, change and grow in order to be the best parents that we can be for our children.
Click the Slideshow below
Parenting is a continuous series of seasons, stages and phases
So let’s get to the real business – I want to help as many parents as I can as we navigate parenting together. Being a parent is not an easy job at all and it is a job! It can be extremely rewarding, but it can also be emotionally draining at times. We all need to support, encourage and uplift one another – not judge and tear each other down.
As a person of faith, I am always and I mean always praying for my children and hopefully we all share the same care and concern for our children! There are so many issues they face on a daily basis and (based on personal experience), it has been my faith and prayers that have brought us through countless times and we have seen God’s hand move over many situations and circumstances! (so many testimonies to share – another post on that).
*** Keep reading all the way to the end – Important message for parents ***
Helpful Parenting Tips
Here are a few additional Parenting Tips that are beneficial through any stage, phase or season of parenting:
- Be approachable
- Be kind
- Love unconditionally
- Non-judgemental
- Have a listening ear
- Lend a shoulder to cry on
- Have an open mind/ears
- Let your children know that the door is always open and they can talk to you about anything! I mean ANYTHING!
Parents – I cannot emphasize enough how important it is to listen to and talk to your children. Start when they are young. Form those bonds when they are little – a perfect example we have always reflected on is the passage below
Proverbs 22:6
Train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it.
Conversation Starters
Have those hard conversations based on their level of maturity. Here are a few conversation starters – you can add more or talk about topics that are applicable to your family and lifestyle:
- Peer pressure
- Bullying
- Friends
- Future
- Drugs and alcohol
- Friendship
- School
- Responsibility
- Accountability
- Racism and Culture
- Healthy relationships
- Abuse and violence
- Mental Health
- Death
- Suicide
- Sex or Abstinence
*** Important Message ***
Talk to your children, tweens, teenagers and emerging adults. THEY NEED YOU – TO BE PRESENT, INVOLVED, ENGAGED AND TO LISTEN! In the same way you want your children to listen to you – your children want to be seen, heard, listened to and they want to know that you will love and support them (even when they mess up) unconditionally!
Ask those open-ended questions, have those hard conversations, engage in a dialogue with them. Make it a daily, weekly or monthly plan to have family time and conversations. Check in with your children – ask them about their day and then listen intently to what they have to say. Not to mention, so many things happen during school hours that your children may or may not tell you. However, if you get quiet and listen, they will offload both the good and the bad. Perfect parenting moment (don’t miss it)!
If this article was beneficial to you or you know another parent that would benefit from these parenting tips – Please share or leave a comment below. We would love to know if these helpful tips worked for you!
Take care and be blessed
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