Three Parenting Tools

Parenting seems complicated and hard when things are not going well with the kids being difficult or throwing a tantrum. These things start slow. Some friction, disagreement, raised voices, shouting and then meltdowns. Many of these situations are perhaps avoidable, but in the heat of the moment it beomes a face off. Why are some days harder than others? Why are chaotic moments followed by sweet connections with our kids? 

scream and shout by Mindaugas Danys

Expect the Unexpected

As parents we know our children, at least we think we do. But then with kids always expect the unexpected. Kids can go from happily playing a game feeding their pets on a virtual pet game to some friction and boom there's some tantrum throwing happening. The unexpected might happen, but parents do know trigger points; their own as well as the kid's. So it makes sense to not press on those. If a parent feels a situation is going south, they need to use humor or a good memory to divert the child's attention. This helps take the wind out of the sails of anger and the people involved in the situation stop short of a complete meltdown. 

Patience

With kids around, patience is required in large dollops. Not only is it good for a child if the parent is patient, it also sets a good example and helps make it a characteristic the child might pick up. When kids are young, patience is key to handling things. If both the parent and kids shout and bang doors, the house becomes an uncomfortable place to live it, when in fact home should be a haven. When kids are young and are learning thngs, it's very important for parents to have patience for kids repeat thngs many times before getting it right. By shouting, parents might make the situation so tense that a child will never bloom to his/her full potential. 

Use Humor

Humor is a great weapon to have in your parental arsenal. In situations which are getting bad, seeing the funny side of things helps. When kids are young and learning to do things independently, the number of accidents are huge. Dropping food, tripping over things, food spilling out of young mouths, soiled clothes, messy homes; these can really get parents down with the amount of work that is involved. It's stress busting to see some parenting fails. Crack a joke at the mess that has to be cleared up, or about the mountain of washing to be completed. The work is a fact, humor can ease the burden. Similarly when you deal with a child, use humor, make fun of the situation, laugh at yourself or tell a joke. It helps dissipate anger. 

Many things in parenting are easier said than done. Parents use a variety of tools to manage difficult situations with their kids. Its a parent's job to bring up the child in a manner which will help the child reach his/her full potential. Education might be important, but the learning that happens at a young age at home is the foundation on which the future is built.