A major challenge that parents face today is building a strong and healthy relationship with their children. We live in a fast-changing world where children easily get influenced by the outside world. Children treat their parents as their universe until a point in time.
The moment they start exploring the world, they start making new friends at school. They become active on social media and get influenced by celebrities and others they follow online. These influences can change the thinking and behavior of children. Unfortunately, many parents find it difficult to understand these changes.
The result can be a strained relationship with children. Parents need to strive to understand their children better and build a strong bond with them. This not only helps to create a great atmosphere at home but can also help you be involved in the child’s future. We give you valuable tips on how to build and maintain a strong relationship with your kids.
Maintaining A Healthy Relationship With Children
1) Show love and affection.
Love and affection are the basis for every relationship. Parents shower love on children when they are young. As they start growing, the display of affection may reduce for various reasons. Let your children know you love them. Don’t hesitate to tell this openly.
Show your love for your children through everything that you say and do. Show your love in the way you talk to them and through the words you use. That is the best way to create a strong relationship with your children.
Touch can help bring you close to your children. Don’t hesitate to hug them and kiss them occasionally. Don’t make them feel embarrassed. Even a gentle hug or a pat on the back is a show of affection.
2) Take the school’s help.
Parents need to work with the school where their children study. The ICSE schools in Vadodarawould have regular parent-teacher meetings. You need to attend all these meetings. The meetings would give you input about your child’s performance in school. These inputs can be very valuable in improving your relationship with children.
The best English medium school, where your child studies, would have a counselor or student advisor. Talk to the counselor and try to understand the problems your child is facing at school. You can also have a talk with the teacher if there are any problems involving your child. Work with the teachers and counselor to solve your child’s problems.
Your child may be finding it difficult to cope at school. There could be the problem of bullying or the influence of friends that is disturbing your child. You can find out about this at the school. With this information, you can have a heart-to-heart talk with your child. When you help your child solve their problems, they will start trusting you more.
This will help improve your relationship with your child. The child will then see you as not just a parent but as an advisor and guide to solve their problems. This is the best way to develop a strong relationship with your children.
3) Spend time together and establish a ritual.
One of the best ways of improving your relationship with your children is by spending time together. For this, establish a ritual that you follow daily. It can be something as simple as having dinner together every day.
You can play together, watch a video or TV show, or play a game together. Weekends can be spent going out. Create a ritual where you regularly spend time with kids and do what they like. Talk to them and allow them to talk openly when you spend time with them. This is a great way of strengthening the bond with your kids. It will ensure that your children trust you.
4) Set some boundaries and rules.
Imposing restrictions on children will make them rebel. As a parent, you would want to restrict their use of devices and internet time and ensure they spend time on studies. But when you impose restrictions, it causes a strain in the relationship with the kids beginning to consider you as a dictator.
Instead, have a talk with them where you explain the boundaries and rules to follow. Let them understand that they are not being restricted and have freedom. But there are boundaries to be followed. For instance, allow them the use of mobiles but set a boundary on the time of use per day. Let them know the consequences of not violating rules. This is a good way to enforce rules without sounding dictatorial.
5) Be available for them.
It is important that you are available when your kids need you. Be with your kids when they need you. It can be to watch them act in a school play or participate in a sport. It can be to take them to a competition.
Kids need you most when they are in trouble. Don’t wait for them to ask for help. You should be able to understand them and know when they are facing problems. The way they behave, whether they follow normal routines, and their interaction with you should tell you about their mental conditions.
When your children have some problems and are not ready to share them, you should be able to find them out by observing them. Changes in their eating and sleeping habits or refusing to talk much are signs. This tells you that they probably need help but are not ready to ask for various reasons.
Talk to them and find out their problems. Tell them that as a parent, it is your duty to help them. Assure them that every child goes through these stages in life and faces problems. Deal with them with affection and give them confidence that you can help them.
This will make them open up and share their problems. Once they let you know of their problem, give them a solution that works. At no stage should you scold or criticize them; Let them know you are always available for them. This will make them trust you and help build a strong relationship.
Even if they have no problems, keep talking to them frequently and try to find out how things are at school and with their friends. Don’t be intrusive or try to investigate into their personal lives. Talk to them about how important it is to discuss their problems so that they will get a solution. This is a good way to create an atmosphere of trust.
6) Give them time.
Most children don’t expect costly gifts or outings from parents. All they want is time. In today’s world, with both parents working, time is at a premium. Kids come back from school and get busy with school work, play, and other things. They don’t get to spend time with their parents.
Dinner time nowadays is spent watching TV or each one engrossed in their mobile phones. Kids get less time with their parents, and this affects the relationship. It is very important to spend quality time with children.
Try to spend at least 15 minutes with the kids every day. Ask them to talk about their day at school and play. Start doing this when they are young and continue the practice. This makes them start opening up to you. This is a great way of building a strong relationship with your children. It is important that you give them undivided attention when they are talking and not be distracted by TV or your mobile.
Children at teen age where they need the right amount of privacy and mental space. So with being involved in their life, giving them some space and respecting children’s privacy is also important.