Parenting Tips for Raising Happy and Healthy Children

If you go online on almost any platform today, the people of the internet and social media would have you believe that raising happy and healthy children means everything has to be Instagram-perfect at all times, and your kids will take advanced calculus when they are in preschool. You will be made to feel that your parenting is a failure and your kids’ futures are doomed if you do not stay competitive and achieve the highest outcomes in everything you all do. This is not reality, however. People are human. People have good and bad days. Life is all about balance. Here are some tips to help ground you in the reality of a realistic and sometimes messy parenting life.

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Provide Your Kids with the Appropriate Care

Kids come in all shapes and sizes, which means there is no one-size-fits-all guidebook on how to parent your unique child. As they develop and grow, you will learn more about their personality and specific needs. Of course, every child needs appropriate medical care at prescribed intervals; however, some children will require extra interventions.

If you are parenting a child living with autism, for example, you already know that they will benefit from extra interventions, such as therapy, that is catered to their specific behaviors, diagnosis, and concerns. Through professional guidance and care, your child can work towards individualized goals that will help them learn, grow, and manage their distinct needs. This type of therapy is not just for your kids. As their parent, you can learn how to manage and cope with their feelings for a better outcome for everyone.

Remember to Take Care of Yourself

If you are not at your best, you will not be able to fully care for those around you. By the way, being at your best does not mean you have to be happy and perky 24/7. Instead, being at your best equates to understanding what you need at a specific moment in time. For example, if you are exhausted, running to the kitchen to bake cupcakes for a school bake sale will not benefit you or your family. Pick up cupcakes at the store, and you still complete your task, but get to sit down and relax instead of sweating over baked goods.

Wearing yourself out could lead to an illness, which will not help anyone. Schedule time in your day to take a moment and reset and care for yourself. Whether that time is at the beginning of the day before everyone else in your home wakes up or at the end when they have all gone to bed or somewhere in between, remember to find moments to take a breath and read a book, listen to music, or stare off into the sunset.

Exercise as a Family

Oftentimes, parents become too busy to exercise. This can lead to sedentary children and less energy for everyone in the family. Make a change in your lives by focusing on family exercise. It will set a good example for the kids and is beneficial for the whole family. Look for activities that are realistic for your lifestyle and body at first and expand on your options as you become more active and comfortable with physical movement. Try going for a walk or a bike ride, checking out the new indoor trampoline arena, or playing frisbee in the backyard.

Watch this fun exercise video you can do from the comfort of your own home on a rainy day or when you all need to get the wiggles out.

Invite Your Kids to Do Daily Tasks With You

You know that it is nearly always easier (and quicker) to take care of spilled milk or do the laundry on your own. But teaching your kids how to do the general work involved in daily life will be a gift for them. They will reap the benefits of learning something new that will also serve them as their independence grows. And you get to spend quality time together while creating new memories.

The most important thing for you, as the parent, to remember is that you must be patient. Your child will make a mess of the flour when baking a cake. They will miss half the table when they first start to wash it after dinner. And they will likely never fold the towels just how you like them. It is your job to teach them and then let go a little. Of course, you need your kids to learn how to properly wash a table, but be gentle with your corrections and let the little things go, especially if you are a perfectionist.

Find Your Support System

Of course, you should find a support system, but your experience will be even better if you can find your unique support system. It may take time to locate those like-minded people who support and love you, while challenging you to be the best version of yourself while parenting. Avoid echo chambers that keep you in a state of tunnel vision, where you do not see the reality of what is around you. Diverse and respectful conversations help generate change, create interesting viewpoints, and understanding.

Look for other parents who will swap childcare or school pick-ups with you. These people may be from your past, your present, or somebody you have yet to meet at the next school function. Perhaps you can lean on your family, because it takes a village to raise children, and it is invaluable to expose them to your family history and traditions. In this day and age, when you can have almost anything delivered, it is still crucial to make connections.

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Raising happy and healthy kids means finding a tailored approach to child-rearing that works for you and your children. It may involve specialized therapy and treatment based on what is best for their needs to help them thrive. One of the best things you can do as a parent is spend quality time with your kids. Show them that they matter, and remember to take care of yourself, too.