Parenting

I may not be a parent now or anytime soon, but I know that it is extremely difficult and rewarding at the same time. I have been learning a lot about parenting recently, and I feel like it is never too early to prepare to be the best parent possible.

There are many different purposes for parenting, and we discussed a few in my Family Relations class. Some of those purposes are: preparing children for life, to have joy, to become more selfless, to bring children into the world, and to protect and prepare children to survive and thrive. No matter the reason, the important fact is that people make the decision to become parents, either consciously or unconsciously. When people become parents, they should try their best to understand what their children need, and to learn all they can about how to raise their children that will prepare them for the world.

In class, we talked about active parenting qualities and characteristics. Those are: courage, self-esteem, responsibility, cooperation, and respect. If these qualities and characteristics are present while parenting, I will bet that things can go a lot more smoothly. These are important to teach children, especially by example. Children learn a lot by seeing what the people around them do, so if a parent displays these characteristics, it is more likely that their children will too.

There are a many needs that children have that are extremely important, but I will talk about only a couple of them. One important need is contact. Studies show that when children do not have their contact needs met, they can fail to grow and thrive. Contact (whether it be physical, social, or eye contact) is more important than you think. If needs like that are not met, children can become attention-seeking and act out. It is good to offer contact freely. The other need I will talk about is belonging. Children like to know that they belong somewhere, and that they are a part of something. Have you ever noticed how young children love to help out around the house wherever they can? Well, I have personally noticed that. I think it is so awesome that children want to help out, because they have seen their parents or siblings work, and they want to follow their examples. Children are extremely impressionable. So, it is important to teach them to contribute at a young age, and that can help meet their need of belonging.

This has only been a glimpse of what I have been learning in class, but I have loved every minute of it. I cannot wait until I am a parent one day, and I will make sure to put to use what I have learned. I encourage all parents to learn all they can about parenting, because one can never know enough. The children we teach are the next generation, so it is important to raise them right.

Thank you for reading!