Parents play a critical role in bringing up kids. They are their first teachers, role models, and caregivers. Parents’ nurturing and support of their children significantly impact their development and well-being.
1. Providing Security: Providing security to the kids is the most important aspect of child-raising, and that can only be done by the parents themselves, and that is the relationship between the husband and wife. The children get their first security through their relationship with their parents. This one important aspect can make or break the child’s security forever. Once the kid is born, then the first eight years of upbringing are the most crucial for the child for the rest of his life. So the first thing the child wants is security, which can be provided by the parents only by showing the child that they enjoy a good relationship, which gives the first security to the child. This does not mean parents try to act in front of the child, as this does not work in the long run.
2. Giving Physical and Emotional Love: Physical touch for children is very important in early upbringing as it forms the child’s psyche. As the child is born, the emotional and physical connection with the mother in the womb is already created. Once the child comes out of the womb, it needs physical touch very severely because the child is separated from the comfort of the womb, so the moment the child is born, it needs touch to make it feel safe. Physical contact can be reduced slowly and progressively, but physical communication for the first few years of upbringing is very important. Next are emotions in the kids, and the child starts developing his feelings according to the surroundings. So, if a child as small as three months old starts showing signs of jealousy or love, which can be observed at such an early stage, one can watch the child start dictating if given extra love and care. So, his emotional development begins in the early stages of the first three months.
3. Social Skills: The children learn their initial social skills from their parents and home surroundings. If you have a joint family, the child is learning from everyone, but they will learn from the person spending the most time with the child. So when the first child is born, it generally learns those social skills slowly, but when the second child is born, it learns from the first kid very fast, and social skills are learned faster. As the child discovers things from his surroundings, one has to behave in front of him so that he will understand by watching the people around him. So, one has to make sure of what kind of social skills one wants to teach, and accordingly, parents have to behave like that to infuse those social skills. It starts with the parents, and even nowadays, in the middle class, generally, the child is left in the creche, or the child gets a dedicated Naani or caregiver, and then the child gets the social skills from her. So spending time with the child at an early age is most important, and the child will imbibe many habits and skills by observing parents or the person who will spend the most time with the child.
4. Habits: this is another important factor the child will form if he puts those habits at an early stage. Storytelling by reading books can be started in the first six months, and the diet and hygiene you want to cultivate can also be begun in the first six months. The major challenge is to keep the child away from the mobile phone and TV, where most of the kids get addicted, but it’s because of the parents and the caregiver or any other person spending time with the child. The child should be fed when he is hungry. Otherwise, children should not be forced to eat, which creates a habit for the child to eat by force only. Nowadays, most children are fed in front of the TV and mobile phones, and they don’t eat unless the parents show them the TV or mobile phones. The control of TV and mobile phones depends on the parents, which can be controlled in the initial months of the growing up months.
5. Establishing clear expectations and boundaries: Children thrive when they know what is expected of them and have clear boundaries. Parents can set these expectations by creating rules and consequences, being consistent in their enforcement, and explaining the reasons behind the laws.
5. Fostering intellectual curiosity: Parents can spark their children’s love for learning by engaging them in stimulating activities, reading to them, and encouraging exploration and questioning.
6. Cultivating social skills: Children learn to interact with others by watching and imitating their parents. Parents can help their children develop social skills by showing the same to kids through their behaviour, as the kids will learn the most from observations rather than teaching them. Sometimes, parents are not very social, and the kids observe that at an early age, so they will imbibe those traits automatically from their parents.
7. Celebrating achievements: Parents should recognize and celebrate their children’s accomplishments, both big and small. This reinforces positive behaviour and boosts their self-esteem. This automatically comes in if they see their parents celebrating events together like birthdays, anniversaries, or family occasions celebrating small achievements.
9. Showing unconditional love: Children must know their parents’ love is constant, regardless of their mistakes or shortcomings. This unconditional love provides a sense of security and helps them develop resilience. But along with this trait, the parents have to draw lines in certain conditions rather than giving this signal, which is taken for granted by the kids.
10. Seeking help when needed: Raising children can be challenging, and parents should not hesitate to seek help. This may involve consulting with professionals, support groups, or other parents facing similar challenges.
Remember, parenting is a continuous learning process. As children grow and develop, their needs evolve, and parents must adapt their approach accordingly. Parents can help their children blossom into well-rounded, confident, and compassionate individuals by consistently providing love, guidance, and support.sharemore_vert
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