Easing Back Into School

Melissa shares some great tips to help ease your child back into school on New Day Northwest. (Click on block below) 

3 Tips to Raising Happy, Well Balanced Children

As parents, we often find ourselves overwhelmed with the belief that we must constantly provide our children with numerous activities and experiences. We fear that they might miss out on valuable opportunities if we don't ensure they have everything their peers do. However, raising happy, healthy, and well-rounded children goes beyond filling their schedules with clubs, lessons, and extracurricular activities. It's time to recognize that there is much more to parenting than simply ensuring a packed schedule for our kids.

Instead of panicking when our children don't show interest in additional music lessons or extracurricular pursuits, we should explore enriching activities that can be done at home as a family. These activities can have a profound impact on their lives, just as much as those additional skills and clubs on offer.

Cook Together, Eat Together

One such activity is cooking and eating together as a family. The simple act of sharing meals at the same time, whenever possible, can significantly influence our child's development and shape their memories of childhood. Rushing from one lesson or club to the next may not be what they remember, but they will cherish the moments when we had impromptu picnic parties in the living room or taught them how to make a classic pineapple upside-down cake. In addition, involving our children in cooking, setting the table, and clearing away dishes equips them with life skills while making quality time together more enjoyable.

Show Interest

Another crucial aspect of parenting is taking a genuine interest in our child's unique qualities. It's easy for parents to become fixated on our expectations and how we think our children should behave. Instead, we should step back and embrace them for who they are. A study conducted at John Hopkins revealed that 67% of children are happy with their parents. This happiness often stems from parents taking the time to understand their children on their own terms, without judgment or attempts to change them. By joining in their hobbies, showing curiosity about their interests, and letting them share why they enjoy certain activities, we foster a healthier parent-child relationship and contribute to their overall development as they grow into well-balanced adults.

Foster Mutual Love and Respect

Respect and love are integral components of effective parenting. The notion of automatically "respecting your elders" can be toxic and fails to acknowledge that not all elders deserve respect, while not all children need to "earn" it in the way older generations expect. As parents, we must respect our child's boundaries, personality, and individuality. Respect is a two-way street, and by demonstrating respect for who they are and what they want to pursue, we encourage their reciprocal respect for us. This mutual respect lays the foundation for a strong parent-child relationship that will endure as they mature. Showing love and respect to our children sets them up for future success.

Identify Your Parenting Philosophy and Plan

Furthermore, it's essential to reflect on the generational trauma we may carry and consider how our own childhood experiences influence our parenting. blindly following in our parents' footsteps without a valid reason might not be the best approach. While it may be suitable for those who grew up in supportive environments, many individuals had challenging childhoods that impact their parenting style. Modern parenting is informed by extensive research on parenting and relationships, far surpassing what previous generations had available. We face unique challenges and issues, so it's crucial to discard the rule book passed down by our parents. Instead, let's select the positive aspects of our parents' parenting techniques and allow our own family dynamics and individualities to guide us as we navigate life together.

Ultimately, parenting isn't solely about the skills our children acquire or the knowledge they accumulate through classes. It's about nurturing them and providing them with the best possible start in life. By focusing on their holistic development, embracing their individuality, fostering mutual respect, and examining our own parenting approaches, we can create a nurturing environment that truly prepares them for the future.

Top Tips for Spending More Time With Your Family

Your family, especially if you have children, are important people in your life. When you are a parent, it can be difficult. While you juggle your own life, mental health, work, and responsibilities, you also have the needs of your children to meet. More than that though, you want to be able to spend quality time with them. Your children won’t be young forever, so you must cherish the time you have together and make an effort to bond with them. 

This can often be a challenge to do, and many people feel that the only way to achieve this is through material things or holidays. While adventures and big things are great, there are also small, everyday things that you can do to help increase the time you spend with your family, while making it enjoyable. 

To help you in your journey as a parent, here are some top tips for spending more time with your family. 

Eat meals together 

One of the simplest things you can do to increase the time you spend with your family is to eat meals together. More often than not, parents will give children their meals at a separate time, or in a separate place, for example, making them eat at the table while they sit on the sofa. However, this is a prime opportunity for some bonding. Why not schedule a dinner time that works around your work and your children’s hobbies, and eat meals together? This way you can share a meal, while talking to each other about your day and connect on a deeper level. You can extend this by cooking together as well. There are many family-friendly meals and recipes out there that you can all make together, whether it is homemade barbecue sauce and burgers, or make-your-own-pizzas, children usually love to get involved, get messy, and be creative. It is also extremely rewarding for you all to eat what you have made together, and give you new things to talk about and experiment with.

Plan adventures in your local area

You don’t have to go far to have a cool adventure. Children have huge imaginations and can make up completely new worlds just in the backyard. Getting outside in nature has a wealth of benefits for everyone, so not only can you better support your family’s mental health, but you can also get their creative juices flowing and join in the fun with them. Kids would love nothing more than for their parents to enter their world and let loose. So, go in the backyard, go to the local park, or drive down to the woods, and go have some fun with your children. Get involved in the stories that they make up, get messy with them, and make sure everyone laughs. This is one of the best ways you can spend time with your family. 

Start a hobby together

Hobbies are a great way for children to learn new skills and experiment with their abilities. Starting a hobby together can be a great way to combine the benefits of starting something new while spending quality time together. Pick something you are all interested in and something that none of you have tried yet. This way you can all be new together, which is a humbling experience and a great way to bond. Great connections can be made with you and your children when you equal the playing field and learn, fail, and laugh together. 

Spending quality time with your family is crucial. Try some of these top tips today.