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The Role Stepparents Play in Children’s Lives.

The Role Stepparents Play in Children's Lives

Stepparents play a number of important roles. The nature of the situation and the dynamic of the family relationship all dictate how those roles play out. 

It can be difficult to fulfill the role, though. Separations are difficult on children as well as adults, and it’s never easy stepping into that situation from the outside. Regardless of how long a set of parents have been separated, there are wounds to address and bridges to gap when someone new enters the picture. 

We’re going to talk about the role of stepparents in this article, giving you some ideas to work with as you try to become a stepparent or incorporate one into your family. 

The Roles of Stepparents

It’s difficult to give one-size-fits-all solutions to issues in family dynamics because all families are so different. 

All individuals are unique, making each combination of people in a family very unique as well. Throw the trauma of divorce or separation into the mix, and you’ve got a delicate, very personal situation. 

That said, single parents can’t just isolate themselves and avoid the potential of relationships. When the time comes to introduce a new stepmom or stepdad to the picture, there a few things to consider that will make the process go a little smoother. 

Again, you can’t put a stamp on any one solution because your approach has to adjust to the situation you and your family are in. There are, however, a few ideas to keep in mind that might make the process a little smoother. 

Let’s take a look at some ways to imagine and develop the roles of stepparents. 

Don’t Rush Things

You’ve established a good relationship with your new partner, but you don’t know how the children will respond to the situation. 

They’re still grieving the loss of their parent’s relationship, and they might not appreciate the idea that there’s a “new mom” or “new dad” in the picture. It’s natural for them to show a little resistance to the idea — especially at first. 

Rushing into the situation and trying to force a positive relationship between the stepparent and stepchild cannot work. When you start to break down what a “parent” is, it’s clear that there are longstanding bonds that have to be made before that role can be established. 

Slapping a parent-child label on a relationship without any foundation will lead to resentment and difficulty later. It’s natural for that to happen, too. When someone is a parent, they’re expected to provide various means of physical and emotional support. 

When those expectations aren’t met, things might go sour. The thing is, someone a child doesn’t know and trust can’t fill that emotional space for them. 

Solution: Allow Relationships to Form Naturally

You can be in a relationship with a new person and have them around your children without calling them a stepparent. Sure, you want that relationship to develop in the future, but that doesn’t mean you have to wait to introduce them until then. 

A new adult in the picture can serve as a friend, mentor, or just someone who cares. That’s all it has to be at first because that’s all it can be. 

A low-pressure, enjoyable time spent together is the best way to start establishing a bond that will last. It’s important for both the biological parent and the stepparent to understand this. 

Odds are that you both want to establish the stepparent-child relationship and that you both have your own ideas of what that looks like. It’s important to stay on the same page and regularly discuss how both of you are treating the situation.

It’s great to show affection and allow the relationship to develop, but tap your foot on the brake when you start to see yourself forcing different elements of the relationship. 

Discuss Family Dynamics

Whether you’re the biological parent or the stepparent, it’s crucial that you talk deeply about how the family came to be. Discuss each member of the family, their roles, how they were affected by the separation, and the relationships that they have with everyone else. 

As a stepparent, you have to appreciate the emotional difficulty that your new family has gone through. Your personal opinions and contributions are important, but they’re not going to solve the issues that the others have experienced. 

This can be a really painful thing to go through because it’s easy to feel powerless in that situation. Know that the situation is complex, and you might not be able to improve things very much at first. Let’s use an example. 

Imagine the family as a big beautiful house. The house was once brand new, everything was working, and there was no reason to think that things would ever stop working. 

Then, one day a massive storm came through and shattered some windows, messed with the wiring, and shook the foundation, creating a few deep cracks. The house is still standing up, but it needs a little repair. 

You can live in this house, but you can’t fix the house yourself. You can’t come to plant your flag and say, “I’m here to save the day! Here are all of my important ideas that will make everything better!”

You’re not a carpenter, and only a professional or someone who built the house in the first place knows how to fix those cracks and windows. 

Ask Difficult Questions

The best way for stepparents or biological parents to create a healthy new dynamic is to have discussions. 

The trouble is, the discussions aren’t easy and they drudge up a lot of emotional subject matter. You have to appreciate that divorce and separation are the hardest things that any child has ever had to face. 

They might not understand the nature of the divorce, which makes it even harder to stomach. Lack of understanding, though, doesn’t equate to emotions that are any less intense or severe. 

Left unchecked, that confusion and emotional turmoil will manifest in other ways and remain unresolved. When someone is in that state, the last thing they want is for a new person to come in and take the role of the person they’ve lost. 

Further, someone who doesn’t appreciate the trouble you’re going through should not try to insert themselves into an important role in your life. 

So, the first step for a stepparent is to appreciate the situation in earnest. Don’t force the conversations, but ask questions where you can and begin to understand what the family members are going through. 

Once you’re more aware, you can start to see where you will fit. You might find that your spot isn’t exactly what you imagined it would be!

Family Roles Aren’t Uniform

Note that unique families call for unique roles. 

Just because you’re a stepmom or a stepdad doesn’t mean you have to behave like your dad or mom. Further, you might not wind up filling a role that you could even imagine at this point. 

We often get caught up with what we think we’re expected to do when the reality of the situation calls for something else. Your role as a stepfather, for example, could be a quarter father figure and three-quarters best friend. 

The way you end up fitting into the family will probably have different elements of what you expected, but a lot of what you didn’t. You might never get the title of “dad” or “mom,” but that doesn’t mean that you won’t fill pieces of those roles.

In many cases, both biological parents are in the picture, and they both hold up their ends as parents. The stepparent is still a parent, albeit one that fits a different role than they would if the other biological parent weren’t in the picture. 

The situation will unfold and call for stepparents to step up to the plate. This all plays out according to the needs of the children and the biological parent. That isn’t to say that a stepparent is beholden to the family and can’t be themselves. 

Stepparents may have interesting family traditions, great parenting instincts, and other wonderful qualities to bring to the table. Those are all positive things and should be embraced. The idea we’re getting at, though, is that the position that the stepparent holds does depend on the existing environment of the family and its needs. 

Respecting Former Partners

There isn’t a shortage of issues in relationships between divorced or separated people. Throw a few children and a new partner or two into the mix, and there’s a lot of room for things to get heated. 

It makes sense, too. Loving relationships and children are some of the most important, emotionally charged factors in any person’s life. If your situation is tense right now, know that there are ways to get through it and find a healthy balance. 

Again, this issue is helped by having discussions. There would be a sense of mutual respect in an ideal situation. When it comes to someone else having a hand in raising your child, that respect has to be earned. 

There isn’t an excuse for an ex to be nasty to a new stepparent, but it’s important to understand where that emotion is coming from. If you know your ex is a reasonable person, and you know that your new partner is a good person, you know that there’s room for peace to be achieved. 

The same goes for situations where an ex introduces a partner to the children and you respond in an intense way. Unless the new partner is an unhealthy influence on the children, it’s important that you find ways to appreciate and accept the situation as it is. 

That means finding respect for the opposite party and having discussions that solve issues. In some instances, that could require therapy. 

Actively Creating Divides

Some stepparents and biological parents have the habit of belittling the opposite parent or their partner to the children. 

Saying negative things about the child’s parent or stepparent to them creates a confusing environment for them. They might start to believe the things you say and internalize them. 

It’s important that you don’t avoid difficult truths about these relationships, but gossiping or venting to a child about your frustrations with an opposite parent doesn’t help anything. 

Even though it sounds like something that you wouldn’t do, it’s easy to slip a little bit and vent your frustrations in an unproductive way. 

Agreeing on Rules

Rules between households are bound to be a little different. It’s important, though, to keep a consistent thread of foundational rules present in both households. 

It’s important to communicate with the children’s other parent and their spouse to set these guidelines. Varying rules and expectations across households can lead to a difficult environment for the children. 

Additionally, failing to respect the wishes of the other parent and vice versa can lead to trouble among parents. These are bridges that can be gapped, even if the solutions aren’t perfect or permanent. 

The idea is to keep an attitude of mutual respect, standing strong or making sacrifices based on the situation. Even if your relationships with the other adults in the picture aren’t great, you can find a common ground to benefit the children. 

If there’s respect across the board, you’ll create a healthy space for the stepparent roles to grow and thrive. If not, it might be difficult for the children to establish healthy relationships with these new figures in their lives. 

Again, things might not pan out how you would have wanted them to. These new roles and relationships might not look at all how you thought they would. What matters, though, is that there’s an environment of love and support that benefits the children. 

Want More Parenting Insight?

Stepparents have a difficult job, but it’s one that can be incredibly rewarding. There’s a lot to learn, and we’re here to help you work through the tough points. 

Explore our site for more parenting information that will help you bridge the gap in stepparent-child relationships.  

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Top Tips For Effective Long-Distance Parenting

Effective Long-Distance Parenting

The challenge of long-distance parenting can be overwhelming, no matter the age of your child or how well you get along with the non-custodial parent. Beyond the concept of holidays and special events, day-to-day living can also be strenuous on everyone involved. While every situation is unique, there are some strategies for being as close as possible, even from a distance. Below are just a few tips to ensure that this living arrangement is as easy as possible for all parties.  

Focus On Communication

One of the most vital things to do in a long-distance parenting situation is to keep up with communication. Just because you are not living under the same roof does not mean that communication should disappear or dwindle. Now more than ever, it is imperative for the safety and happiness of your child to be communicative, not only about their day-to-day lives but about how they are in general. Not only is communication between you and your child important, but communication between you and the co-parent is equally as important. Some communication points to consider:

  • Who are your child’s friends? How often do they see them outside of school?
  • How are they performing in school?
  • What activities are they participating in?
  • Are there any areas of concern to which both parents should be aware of?
  • What does your child need from you in terms of communication?
  • If this is a new process, what can make this easier?

These are just a few of the things that should be communicated, but the list can be endless. While it is not necessary to hover or be a helicopter parent, it is crucial to not keep either parent in the dark about things, no matter how your relationship with the co-parent is. Communication shows that even though you are not physically present all the time, you still have an enormous amount of care for your child and the life that they are living.  One line of questioning to avoid is asking too in-depth about how the custodial parent is doing. A high-level ask is fine, but avoid badgering your child to get “dirt” on the parent that they spend the most time with. Once you have the more serious questions out of the way, try asking more valuable questions to forge the bond you have. Asking deeper questions opens a conversation for you to learn something you didn’t know about your child! 

Conversely, have your child communicate with you. In a long-distance parenting relationship, it’s not uncommon for a child to shut down in a way. Encourage your child to communicate their thoughts, feelings, and any questions they may have. If you have a younger child, they might feel that your absence is their fault, whereas an older child might not need as many phone calls as you might assume. Keeping these lines of communication open makes for an easier time for everyone and will eliminate any chance of a misunderstanding.

While you are making the efforts to reach out to your child and connect with them from a distance, it is important to remember that they are living their life. Don’t get discouraged if they miss a phone call from time-to-time or ask to change the routine. Part of understanding is being available for your child (and sometimes, the custodial parent). Being available to talk fosters a positive relationship between all parties and makes this lifestyle easy to adjust to.  

Make Time For Fun

Even though it might not be possible to plan in-person activities with your child every day or week, you can plan virtual activities to still spend quality time with them. In today’s day and age, it is important to connect with your child when possible. There are several Zoom games that you and your family can play together, no matter how young or old. For example, playing a family-friendly version of “Would You Rather” can open up avenues for additional conversation and learning. For older kids, you can download phone games such as “Heads Up” for a competitive guessing game. 

When you plan to visit your child, it can be easy to overdo the planning with over-the-top activities. While visiting, try to keep the focus on your time together and less about the activity you’re doing. This not only sets realistic expectations for the time that you are together but limits the possibility of your child choosing a “favorite parent” to be around. 

Prepare For The Future 

One of the hardest facets of long-distance parenting is not knowing what the future will bring. Not being in the same household can create stress and uncertainty, and it’s beneficial to set up preparations for any circumstance. 

While it’s not the easiest thing to think about, it is beneficial to consider your child’s financial security once you’re gone. One way to think ahead is to research the cost of a life insurance policy. A life insurance policy pays out a lump sum of money in the case of your passing. While this benefit cannot replace you as a lost parent, it can provide money to help pay for the mortgage payment of where your child lives or even college tuition. It can also help the custodial parent with any lost child support. With this policy, you can designate one or multiple beneficiaries, giving your family the financial support they need. 

Another way to plan ahead is to create a family emergency binder. This simple yet effective planning tool can help you organize your files and have everything located in one place if an emergency were to occur. In the case of needing to leave your home in a hurry, this one binder can provide all necessary information for not only yourself but your dependents as well. Things to have in the emergency binder include:

  • Insurance Policies (homeowners, auto, life, and medical)
  • Medical Information (allergies, medical conditions, medications)
  • Emergency contact list (custodial parent and any near-by relatives or family friends)
  • Identification Papers (copy of driver’s license, passport, social security cards, and birth certificates). 

Finally, creating a rainy day fund for you and your child can prove fruitful for a few reasons. First, this can make events such as holidays or vacations easier on your budget, as this money has already been put away. This can also alleviate potential stress between you and the custodial parent in case of an emergency. 

Send Snail Mail

In a world filled with technology for basically everything, it can be easy to forget about snail mail. The rush of excitement that a child gets from getting a care package or a handwritten letter is almost unmatchable. If you’re sending a letter, write down things that you can do together when you see each other next. Or, consider sending a postcard with the start of a joke, and send a follow-up one with the punchline. This small act will keep your child engaged at any age!

Care packages are also a great way to bond with your child. The great thing about these is they are completely customizable to your child’s age, interests, and hobbies. For example:

  • Teenage girl: chocolate, magazines, facial mask, lip gloss 
  • Young boy: candy, stickers, small toys
  • College student: water, energy drink, pens, chips, gum

While care packages shouldn’t be sent all the time, they can be used to make a special occasion that much more exciting. Just know that these tokens do not have to be expensive, they just have to be from the heart. Your kid will be ecstatic when they find they have something from you that’s just for them!

Create Traditions 

One of the most special things you can do with your child is to create tradition. These traditions create warmth and the continued promise of certainty. Traditions also create positive memories for your children, no matter their age, plus they are fun to look forward to!  Some examples of traditions that you and your child could start:

  • Going to a certain restaurant when you see each other
  • Try making some family recipes, perhaps for a holiday
  • Designate a certain night of the week for a game night
  • Choose a community service project for you to do together
  • Plan a yearly vacation

Remember that all traditions do not have to be large or extravagant. Whatever traditions you decide, the critical thing is to stick with them! Most simply put, a tradition is not a tradition if it’s not followed. Your child will be looking forward to this moment with you as a stable moment. Depending on how your relationship is with the custodial parent, you can create new traditions for all of you to do together to reinforce the family aspect, even though you live apart.    

For the Custodial Parent

While most of these tips have been aimed at the parent that does not live with the child, we also need to discuss tips for the parent who does live with the child. Long-distance parenting can bring a whirlwind of emotions, and it’s important for your child to know that you are also there for them too, at any age.  Do not let any negative emotions you have about the non-custodial parent impact your child. In fact, it is beneficial to all parties involved to be as positive as possible when speaking about the co-parent. Do not try to make your child choose sides between the two parents as this will only create tension between all parties, and it will put stress most of all on your child. If long-distance parenting is new to your child, remember to frame it in a way that does not emotionally hurt them. Instead of expressing any ill-will, remind your child when they will be seeing the non-custodial parent, and remind them that they can call them at any time. 

Discussing financial obligations that you need is also something that needs to be done. If there is child support that is owed, it is vital that you and the non-custodial parent not only reach an agreement but stick to it. If there are any additional child financial obligations (like school and sports fees), it is important to determine who is going to pay for these or if these costs will be split. Having these considerations ahead of time will make life easier for everyone.     

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Successful Parenting Tips and Plans for Parents

Successful Parenting

Successful parenting does not come with a set of rules; you will learn parenting while raising your child. No matter the number of books or articles you study on parenting, it is a natural process; you will learn it automatically.  

Raising kids is not easy as it looks; it is one of the most challenging jobs. Moreover, if you are being parents for the first time, it can be more overwhelming for you than being parents for the second time.

Your parenting technique can change based on the different phases of a childs’ life. When your kids are toddlers, you may use different parenting styles, and once they move to their teenage years, your parenting method can change.

Your kids’ behavior depends on the way you treat your kids. If you are a harsh parent, your kids can have aggressive behavior; therefore, your raise your kids shape their behavior in the future.

Even though parenting is learned through your personal experience, you need to know some basic tips and plan in advance, which reduces overwhelming situations in the future.

Here in this article, I have mentioned some successful parenting tips and plans that you can use:

Spend Quality of Time With Your Children

One of the most essential tips that you should follow as a parent is spending quality time with your kids.

Spending time with your kids does not mean spending hours without talking a single word. Spending quality time means doing some productive activity like painting, watching TV, cooking, baking, or any other activities.

You may know that children, especially toddlers, want their parent’s attention. Therefore by giving them enough time ensures them that they are loved. It helps to create a special bond between you and your kids.

Likewise, you need to give equal time to your teenagers as well, during teenage children can feel lonely when you do not give them time. And when you spend time with your teenagers, you will know their likes and dislikes, things your kids want to pursue in the future, and more importantly, if they are on the right path or not.

Spending quality time is not just beneficial for your kids, but it is equally beneficial for you. After a long day or a week in the office, it will reduce all your stress, and you spend some time with your kids.

Show Them You Love Them

Every parent has different ways of showing love and affection to their kids, some like to show, and some do not. If you are among those parents who do not like to show how much you love your kids, you may be doing it wrong.

Children need love and affection for their mental well-being and help to develop their self-esteem.

Children can quickly feel unloved if you do not express your feelings towards them frequently. They are emotionally sensitive and can have a sense of insecurity in them. And it is one of the main reasons that kids often ask if you love them or not.

To ensure your kids that you love them, you should never hesitate to express your feelings. As a parent, you should not feel awkward expressing your love to your kids.

Just saying “I Love You” to your kids can make your kids feel they are loved. When you express your feelings toward your kids, it helps your kids be expressive too.

Set Rules

Rules are the guideline that helps your kids to stay disciplined. Children can be very naughty if you do not set any boundaries for your kids.

When you set specific rules for your kids, like to wake up on time, do your assignment on time, eat healthy food, it makes kids self-disciplined.

You may be aware that in every place you go, you have to follow some rules. Hence, when your kids have a habit of following rules you set for them, they can quickly adapt rules that are made outside their home. 

When you are setting rules for your kids, make sure that you do not keep extreme rules. As far as possible, make sure the rules are simple.

Once you set rules for your kids, make sure that you stick with the rules and be consistent with the rules.

For instance, if you set rules like do not have junk food and you give them junk food saying sometimes it’s ok to have it. Then this creates children’s freedom to break the rules you have made for them.

Limit Their Screen Time

In this digital age, everyone is dependent on their digital devices. Kids these days want their devices all the time, whether for entertainment, doing their homework and other studies, or having food. 

You need to give your kids devices for safety reasons and make them familiar with the technology. But instead of taking their device as an essential device, kids take it as an entertainment device and spend half of their time on the device.

On average, teenagers can spend more than 7 hours on their mobile devices. Instead of doing some productive activity most of the time, they are either on social media or playing mobile games.

Hence it has been essential for you to set a screen time limit for your kids. As a parent, constantly checking your kids’ device and their screen time might not be a good idea.

Therefore using parental control apps can be one of the best solutions for limiting your kids’ device. Parental control apps show your kids total screen time and help you block websites, show your kids’ device activities, their location, and many more.

The best parental control apps you can use to limit your screen time is fenced.ai.

Listen To Your Kids

Due to your busy schedule, sometimes you might not have enough time to listen to your kids. And when you do not listen to your kids, they can feel you do not give them importance.

Kids do have their problems, viewpoints, thought processes, and they want someone to listen to them. You should be your kids’ someone with whom they can express whatever they are feeling.

Toddlers can be very curious about every new thing they see, and they will constantly question you. You should not feel irritated each time they question; instead, you should listen to their question and try to give answers and remove their queries.

Likewise, if you have teenagers, then they should give them an equal priority. You may know that teenage children go through an emotional rollercoaster; therefore, at this phase of their life, you should listen to your teenager, understand what they are facing, what they want, and so on.

Trust Your Kids

One common mistake that parents do especially for their teenage kids, is by not trusting their kids. Trust is the most important factor for every relationship, as it shows honesty in the relationship.

Sometimes, you may have seen kids lie to their parents once; then, parents stop believing their kids from the next time onwards. Even when the kids are trusting, they will suspect their kids. This can disappoint kids, and in the worst case, kids start to lie to their parents.

When you trust your kids, they will never hide anything from you, and even when they lie to you, they will eventually feel guilty about it. Likewise, when you create a trustworthy environment, your kids will feel comfortable sharing their feelings with you.

Praise Your Kids For Good Work

You may scold your kids immediately after they make any mistakes. But do you praise your kids whenever they do some good deeds? How often do you praise your kids?

Whenever your kids do some good work, praise them, which motivates them to continue doing better work in the future.

You should praise your kids immediately after they do some good work. Sometimes even if your kids fail at something, even after putting in lots of hard work, you should praise them.

While praising your kids, you should mention the action that you liked the most.

One thing to keep in mind is never to praise by comparing your kids with other kids.

When you praise your kids by comparing them with other kids, they start to take everything as a competition. By taking everything as a competition can disappoint kids and can make them unhappy.

Do Not Jump into Giving Punishment.

Parents usually jump into punishment immediately after their kids make mistakes. Parents think that punishment will keep their kids disciplined and think that kids will never repeat their mistakes once they punish their kids.

Also, another mistake that parents make is by giving physical punishment to their kids.

Before you jump into giving punishment, you need to tell them the wrong deed they did and not repeat the mistake. You should warn your kids about the wrong action they did, which gives them time to correct their actions.

Even if you need to punish them, give punishments that make sense, which improves them.

For instance, if your kids repeatedly disobey you and do specific actions even when you restrict them, do not do it. First, you should warn them; even after the warning, you should punish them if they continue the same action. Give punishment like writing handwriting, taking their devices for certain days.

Do Not Give Everything They Ask For

Many parents want to give everything they wish for, but do you think it is good to fulfill your kids’ wish?

If you start to fulfill everything that your kids demand, they will stop valuing the things they get. They will not respect your hard work, and they want you to fulfill their demand at any cost. Moreover, kids will also start to be materialistic, and they start to compare whatever they get with their friends.

When you fulfill your kids’ demands or wishes only after they do something good like behaving well or getting good marks in exams, then they will respect those things. They will feel like they have earned it and will value it more.

For instance, if you give your kids a new iPhone right after its release, they will demand a new one when its new version is released. But if you give a new phone, if your kids get a good score in their exam, they will value the phone.

Feed Them Everything, You Cook

Every household that has babies knows how picky kids can be with their foods. Kids and their food tantrums are like never-ending stories. 

Sometimes just to avoid childrens’ drama over food, parents give them any food they ask for. Most of the time, kids ask for junk food and fast food that might not be healthy.

If your kids start to get picky with their food, you should warn them or simply ignore their tantrums. When you start ignoring their tantrums, they will realize that their food tantrum will not work.

Sometimes, you can even ask your kids what they want to have for dinner or give them some options to choose from if they demand fast food.  You can even make new dishes or modify the same dish to excite your kids.

Moreover, if you provide every food they demand, they start to give less value to the food you provide for them.

Try to Create Light Environment

Home is the first school of kids; they get their first education from their home. Children can earn better in a positive environment; hence, it is your responsibility to create a light and positive environment at home as a parent.

You may have seen many parents try to show themselves as strict parents and always put on their grumpy faces all the time.

One common mistake parents make is by acting strict and setting many rules. When you act as strict parents, your kids will feel difficult to share their problems and feelings with you. They try to hide any difficult situation they are facing.

Instead, you should use humor to create a positive and light environment around your kids. When you create a light environment around your kids, they will feel comfortable sharing their problems with you.

Do No Compare Your Kid with Anyone

Most parents tell their kids that a common sentence is “Look at your sibling, be like your sibling.” Kids usually get hurt when you compare them with their siblings or with their friends.

You should know that every kid is unique, and forcing them to be like someone else will make them unhappy, and they will start to feel insecure.

By comparing your kids with others, you may feel that your kids will start to do better work and improve themselves. But you may not realize that their confidence will reduce when you compare your kids with other kids.

When you constantly compare your kids with other kids, it will create pressure on kids. Likewise, it also increases stress levels and anxiety among kids.

Also, when you make the comparison between your two kids, it creates sibling rivalry among them.

For instance, if you compare your second child with your first child, your first child might start to feel superior and start showing aggressive behavior towards the second child.

Try To Make Your Kids Responsible

Another parenting tip that you must know is to make your kids responsible at a young age. Making your kids responsible at a young age will help them when they move out for college.

In kids’ free time, you should assign some home duties to your kids like cleaning their messy room, washing their dishes themselves, taking care of pets, and so on.

When your kids complete the work you assigned to them, you should praise them, motivating them.

If you do not assign any responsibility to your kids, you will try to ignore their responsibility in the future. Moreover, kids will feel reluctant to take responsibility growing up, and it will take time for them to be responsible in the future.

Encourage Kids to Take Part in Extracurricular Activities

Most parents make their kids focus only on their studies and even scold them if they want to do some extra activities apart from their studies. You should know for successful parenting to encourage your kids to do activities they love doing.

You should know what your kids are interested in and encourage them to do the activity.

For instance, if your kids love to dance, you can send them to dance class and motivate them to do better.

When you encourage your kids to do what they love doing in the later phase of their life, they can pursue their careers.

Also, you should note that you never force your kids to take part in activities that they are not interested in. Children will not feel happy when they are forced to learn, and they cannot even perform well when they are forced to do the activity.

Understand Their Likes and Dislikes Before Judging Their Choices

There is a huge generation gap between you and your kids, therefore likes and preferences can differ between you two.

For instance, every month there is a new trend and style in the market, you may not be aware of the trend like your teenagers are. Your teenager might choose a dress or fashion style that you have never seen to keep up with the trend. In such cases, you should not judge your kids’ choices, as they can get hurt.

When you judge your kids and make fun of your children’s choices, they might feel unsure about their choices. Also, they start to hide their thought process in fear of being judged and getting trolled by their parents.

FAQ

What are some good parenting rules?

Some good parenting rules that you can follow are:

  • Have frequent communication
  • Show them you love them.
  • Spend some quality time with your kids
  • Be their role model.

What is the most successful parenting style?

The authoritative parenting style is one of the most successful parenting styles. However, most of the time, parenting styles depend upon how your kid behaves.

Does parenting ever end?

Parenting is a never-ending role; once you step onto parenthood, parenting continues till the end of your life. Your role does not change even when your kids are in the 50s or 60s.

Conclusion

To conclude, parenting cannot be entirely taught; you will learn parenting through your own experience. You can take advice from many books and articles from your peers who have already been parents, from your parents, but successful parenting entirely depends on you.

Also, parenting depends on your kid’s behavior; if your kids are rebellious, then being a chilled-out parent may not be effective. And if your kids are sensitive, then being a harsh parent can scare them.

Hence parenting depends upon many factors, but this does not mean that you should not look at parenting tips and plans.

You need to look at some parenting tips and plans that help you get some idea on parenting and prepare you mentally to have successful parenting.