Parenting!

This week I have learned a lot about parenting! I am currently not a parent but hope to be one day in the future. I think a lot of this information will help my future family and I hope it will help yours as well!

As I've been learning about parenting this week, I have pondered a lot about how my mom and dad parented me and my siblings. They are honestly such a good example to me of really caring and trying to raise good people to do good things in the world. They have so much love for each individual child and do their very best to keep us safe and teach us important principles that will help us in our lives. They focused on the needs of each child at the moment they needed it. I want to tell you a little bit about these needs that have really helped me in my life.

Contact

Kids long for physical contact. Parents need to offer this freely to their children. I think about all the times my dad would chase us around the house, grab us, and tickle us until we felt like we were going to pee our pants. My mom would kiss and love on us all the time. As we got older, we would do lots of hugs, high fives, and even fist bumps. You wouldn't think this but teenagers especially long for this contact, even if they say they don't. I know that having this physical touch helped me to know that my parents really loved me! I know there are so many other ways to show someone they are loved but for kids, they especially love physical touch.

Belonging

This is a really important need. Kids want to feel like they belong and are valued. They like a challenge! One way my parents helped us with this was they would include us in "parent jobs" like cooking dinner, mowing the lawn, grocery shopping, and lots of other things. Not only does it get kids in the groove of doing normal household chores, but it helps them to get excited about it! I heard a story recently that an uncle observed his nephew outside on the lawn with his pretend lawn mower next to his father and was having so much fun. That little boy felt that his dad wanted him to help and even needed it. One of my favorite things was when my mom would let me help her cook by adding a few ingredients, mixing, or even just letting me hang out with her while she did the work. It helped me fulfill that need to contribute.

Forgiveness

The last need I want to focus on is forgiveness. This one is a little harder to teach but it can be done. A way a parent can teach their child is just leading by example. When there is a situation where the parent needs to forgive, do so quickly and humbly. it may be hard sometimes but it is so worth it. Kids are always watching what their parents are doing so if you are giving that example, they will want to follow. This will really help kids in the future to forgive freely and have better relationships with people. It will make really just make the world a better place with better people.

Conclusion

In conclusion, I just want to express my gratitude for parents everywhere. They are trying hard to teach their children good principles and fulfill their needs that I have talked a little bit about today. I know that parenting can be hard and I know that if you give your children contact, allow them to feel belonging, and teach forgiveness, they will turn out pretty darn good. If you have any questions, please send me a message or leave a comment. I would love to talk with you more! I'm definitely not an expert but I can try and help in any way I can. Talk to you next week!