Becoming a Better Parent 101

This is the quick and straight version of how to become a better parent:

1.Set goals. If you want to become a better parent you have to have a goal. Every child is different and so is every parent. What one parent may struggle with comes easily to another. So, it is time to evaluate yourself. What areas of parenting could you improve on? Do you need to spend more time with your child? Do you need to yell less? Do you need to be more affectionate? Do you need to be more strict? Do you need to lighten up some? What are your personal flaws of parenting? Ok, now that you know them, set goals to improve in those areas.

2.Make a plan. You do not just become a better parent because you want to be and you have a goal to be. Now you have to plan out the steps. This may seem like a silly approach, but the fact is, that unless you are consciously trying to improve, you won’t. So, set up your steps. If your goal is to take a greater interest in your child, your plan might be to attend an event they are apart of, have a one on one outing with them once a week, and spend five minutes a day just talking to them, no interruptions. Once your plan is set it will be much easier to obtain your goal because you will have an outline to follow that will get you there.

3.Re-motivate daily. Something motivated you to want to be a better parent. So, if you are like most people you will work at it for a few days consciously, then slip back into your regular routine, doing what you always do. If you really want to be a better parent you have to stay motivated. So, re-motivate yourself daily. You can do this by writing down the reasons you want to become a better parent and re-reading them each day. You can figure out what motivated you in the first place and revisit that each day. Whatever it takes, get yourself re-motivated to work on being a better parent each and every day.

4.Quit trying to be the best friend. If you want to be a better parent you have to drop the best friends goal. Think back to when you were a kid, your best friend let you do some stupid stuff, right? Well, as a parent you can’t let your kid ride their motorcycle through the school, or sneak out to meet a boy. The fact is you are their parent, and while friendship is a good thing to seek, being a parent should always come first. Sometimes they will hate you, but the things you are doing will be for their own good.

5.Think long term. A kid would tell you that a good parent is one who lets them eat ice cream for breakfast, and stay up as late as they want. This may sound fun, but it will result in bad health, and no energy. So, when trying to become a good parent think about the long term. Will the decisions you make today benefit them in the future?

6.Spend time on yourself. If you want to be a good parent you have to take time for rest and relaxation. A stressed out busy person is going to have a hard time being patient with a tired two-year old. A hungry frazzled person is not going to deal with a snotty teen very well. So take time for yourself and you will be a better parent.

7.Work, work, work. Being a better parent takes work. This is not a snap your fingers and it is done kind of thing, if you want to be a better parent, work at it, work at it, work at it.