For those who have chosen to take on the role of being a parent know that raising a child can bring more joy than you could have ever imagined. Bringing a child into this world though and the responsibility of shaping them into who they will be is also one of the hardest things you can ever do. Parents are how children learn about who they are and how to navigate the world around them and are critical in who their children become. However, as children grow, it is vital that parents create and provide children the space to be their most authentic selves and foster their own identities.
As parents, you know the world and people can be harmful and can bring immense pain; because of this, parents want to protect their children from this pain and ensure their happiness and well-being. But, sometimes even the best of intentions can have unintended consequences. In an effort to love and support their children, the boundaries or actions that parents take can sometimes result in being too restrictive. This becomes problematic as children can internalize these actions as messages that they are not good enough or that their parents don’t truly like who they are. We know that for many parents, this is absolutely not the case and that you love your children more than anything. Thus, it’s vital to remember that it’s okay to fall short as long as we continue to put the needs of our children first. The following are some words of wisdom from The Gottman Institute to remind us all of our important role of parents.
“Parenting is not about you as a parent. It’s about your child. It’s about who your child is and what their specific needs are. Only when you can understand and adapt to these needs can you be the most effective. Each child is a precious individual, and a one-size-fits-all approach to parenting will come up short.”
For more information on the article that inspired this post, click here.
