By Kylah Harrington – Manager of Parent Education Network
As a busy Mom of three, I know how challenging it is to maintain a good relationship with all of my kids. Parenting can be super tough at times and as much as we try our best, we sometimes end up fighting with our children. The good news is that we can always find opportunities to build a better relationship with them.
Here are 5 WAYS we can start to build the type of relationship we want!
DEMONSTRATE RESPECT – To establish mutual respect in the family, we must first demonstrate respect for our child. Lots of problems between people come from a lack of mutual respect. Minimize negative talk and try to discuss problems with your child when the atmosphere is friendly and not when we’re upset or angry.
PROVIDE ENCOURAGEMENT – Encouragement is about focusing on the positive qualities of others and letting them know you recognize those qualities.
“I like that you have such a good sense of humor”
“I like the way you share your toys with your sister”
“I like how helpful you are with dinner”
Encouragement focuses on strengths and contributions and views mistakes as opportunities to learn, which results in children feeling a sense of accomplishment and a sense of self-respect.
TAKE TIME FOR TRAINING – This involves teaching children how to do things for themselves. Learning how to become self-reliant and self-sufficient helps develop their independence. Teaching children to do things for others teaches them how to be cooperative and contributing members of society.
SPEND TIME TOGETHER – Spending time together is the best way to build a positive relationship with your child. When we ask children what makes them happy, their answer is spending time playing with their family. I can think back to my own childhood and can still remember the feeling of how happy I was when I was with my entire family playing a board game or we were outside all playing soccer together.
COMMUNICATE LOVE – The qualities needed to communicate love is mutual respect, spending time together and being encouraging. You can also show them that you love them with your body language, tone of voice and what you say to them.
Communicating love is letting children know that:
“I believe in you”
“I trust you”
“I know you can handle this”
“You are listened to, cared for, and very important to me”
“I love you and I am here to support you”
Article inspired by the teachings of Wes Wingett.
