Is there a more difficult job on the planet than being a parent? If there is, we sure don’t know what it is. Not only is it extremely challenging, but there’s also no rigid, correct path for parents to take. There is, unfortunately, no manual to follow when it comes to raising your child. With that said, that doesn’t mean that parents have to merely hope for the best. There are plenty of ways that parents can support their child’s development and set them up for future success. In this post, we’ll take a look at some handy strategies, which include a mix of tried and tested tips along with modern approaches.
Keep Screen Time To a Minimum
We live in a world of screens, and with adults spending more time staring at their devices than ever before — an average of 7 hours a day, according to the latest data — it can be tricky to then turn around and tell your child that screens are off limits. A complete ban maybe isn’t realistic, but there’s value in keeping screen time to an absolute minimum. While research is ongoing, early findings suggest that keeping screens away from your child can help to improve focus, brain functionality, sleep, happiness levels, and academic performance. They’ll likely have plenty of time to look at a smartphone in the future; in their younger years, try to keep them away.
Professional Support
For the vast majority of matters, parents can be in charge of their child’s development themselves, but there are some instances when it’s best to recruit the help of professionals. This may involve working with a pediatric therapist, like the ones available at https://www.metroehs.com/, hiring a private tutor to work with your son or daughter, or even working with a sports coach or art teacher to help them dive deeper into their passion. Even though we tend to think of parenting as a private matter, the old adage ‘it takes a village’ still holds true!
Stick to a Routine
There are a lot of innovative approaches to parenting, many of which have merit. And yet, the classics hold true, too. Studies have long shown that sticking to an established routine can do wonders for kids, especially when it comes to their capacity for self-regulation (for instance, managing their moods themselves). The interesting part about this research is that it’s not necessarily what forms part of the routine that matters, just the fact that it exists. You can be as creative with the routine as you like, so long as you stick to it consistently.
Slowly Assign Responsibilities
Finally, one underrated way to support your child’s development is to slowly assign responsibilities. Over time, this will build confidence and independence, and it’ll also make it more likely that they will acquire skills that they’ll need over the course of their lifetime. The type of responsibilities you assign can range from simply putting away toys (2 – 4 years) to helping prepare meals (10+ years old), and everything in between.
