As parents, we all want our children to have a great life. Even if our own life was fraught with difficulties, it can all seem acceptable if the efforts go towards giving our children a better shot. It can be easy to understand this on the surface, but without gatekeeping, you only truly recognize the depth of this emotion when you have little ones of your own. Be they biological or adopted, anything is valid.
Giving your child a competent leg up in life is worth your time. It’s also a careful balancing act. How many parents around the world are forcing their child down certain paths or pursuits, certain that it’s for their own good? This usually only leads to friction in the relationship.
But it is possible to ensure our kids have access to better opportunities, or even simple good parenting. You can make the most of things if you try. It can take a lifetime to achieve this, and I in no way want to dismiss the natural challenges of parenting but let’s explore a few options:
Let Them Believe
It might sound like the basic and obvious solution – but allowing your child to believe they can do anything really does move mountains. We often forget just how powerful that idea can be. It’s often best illustrated with a ‘why not?’ For example, let’s say they’d love to write a novel. They read all the time, and are enamored with the written word. But they believe, as they explain to you, that they could never top the bestseller list. A simple response can be powerful here. ‘Why not?’ It might seem too obvious, and it’s less of a direction, more of a principle to bestow upon them. When they internalize that ‘why not?’ they can use it more than any other in their life. It can stop them from being fearful of opportunities or change. It can at least help them try things – and that’s the golden ticket.
Care for Their Education
Our children don’t need to have the best of grades to become successful. What matters more is how they squeeze the most out of their understanding. Learning is much more than the parameters of a school and it’s intrinsically fun. However, it can be hard for them to see it that way, as many adults do. This is where you might decide to help them attend a kids STEM camp, or help them take afterschool sporting lessons or book a music class. When you help them blossom in other areas – you can have a massive positive effect.
Help Discipline Them
Discipline is, of course, one of the most important things any of us can do to better ourselves but especially children. Setting the town right from the star is useful for all. Helping them schedule their time, as well as giving them time to relax and simply be a child, can help you manage their opportunities in the healthiest manner possible. For example – getting all their summer work done in the first couple of summer weeks, so they can enjoy the rest of their school break with bliss. It may seem small but overtime you build stamina that will last them a lifetime.
With these tips, I hope our children can get the best advantage in life.
X, Dijana
