‘Mantra’ of smart parenting

I wonder how some parents manage to make the most of raising their children. Is there any magic formula? Yet, coming from similar family background and similar economic structure, how can children be so different? Is it that most successful parents know how to strike the right balance between discipline and frankness with their children?

1. Understand your child- Every kid is different. Acknowledging and respecting your child goes a long way to understand him better. I remember my 4-year-old niece asking her mother for permission to attend her friend’s birthday party next door. My cousin asked her to wait till other mothers send their children. To this my niece retorted smartly, “If all mothers say the same thing as you are, who will be the first one to attend?”

2. Reward your child- Every child craves for acknowledgement as we, adults, do.
Experts are of the opinion that children must be rewarded for their good behavious. The nature of reward can be as priceless as a simple hug or buying a Cadbury-to say that you love him and his thoughtfulness is appreciated by you.

3. Don’t pamper your child- Costly gifts do not guarantee a well-behaved child. So, if you are both working parents don’t feel guilty about it. All you have to do is explain your situation as candidly as is possible to your child, the rest they will understand being smart kids.

4. Don’t ridicule or overlook your child’s mistakes- The best thing to do is to ‘sensitize’ your child about the mistake and consequence(s) that may follow their actions. Then instead of hiding their mistakes, they will learn to take on responsibilities. That’s the greatest gift that you can give to your child- the gift of being responsible.

Just don’t cushion his every fall; be there, so he can see your proud face when he stands himself up on his own two little feet. In a nutshell, your child can be as smart and as well behaved as you want him to be.