Parenting. So much has been said, so much has been written about this ungrateful job. All those videos, all those blogs they teach you the much-needed basics you must learn but what about the mental aspects of it? Aspects that most parents ignore.
What you share with your child is a bond no other relation can emulate. You stay with them in their building years, you guide them, but do you do it the right way? Here are some thoughts for introspection.
1) Do you ever think why your child is hiding something from you? Why is he/she not telling the truth? May be he has done something wrong, even very wrong. But don’t you think as parents you should have had an environment in which he/she is comfortable even telling you his/her worst mistakes?
2) Do you feel like your child is under a burden of following his/her dream? May be he/she has seen you satisfied with the kind of life you are living. Don’t you feel it is your duty to tell your child that no matter what happens you are there for him/her? That you back them? You might say you are there for them but have you ever told them this?
3) Do you allow your kids to think? Do you teach them how to make a decision? Or just tell them whether it is a good thing or a bad thing? Allowing the kids to think develops their mind. It makes them mature. It prepares them for the big decisions they will be making in the future.
4) Do you teach them how to stand up for themselves? Do you instill in them a belief that they should not allow anyone to bully them? That they should fight their own battles?
5) Does your kid have that much freedom that he can come up to you and tell you that he is suffering from depression? That he wants a break from his stressful life and spend some quality time with the ones he love.
6) Are you open enough to your kid that he/she is able to discuss about his/her relationships with you? Guidance towards these things is necessary in such a ripe age.
7) Do you spend some real quality time with them? Discuss with them how their life is going? Instead of working those extra hours in the office are you willing to spend time with them?
8) Do you share with your kids your life experiences? Your life learning? Your incidents have a major impact on your child.
9) Will you know if your child is having suicidal thoughts? India has the highest number of suicide rate among students. Will you be able to figure out those slight changes in your child’s behavior?
10) Will he/she remember you? Will they talk about you to their kids? Will you be able to make them a better future parent?
These are some really important questions that you must ask yourself now or in the future when you become a parent because parents play a huge role in not only physical but also the mental development of a child.
While providing our children with comforting environments we forget that we have to make them not only a successful person but also a better human being.
