Start with Self-Care

You cannot help a kid unless you are comfortable and secure in yourself first. Kids require a lot of time, energy and patience, which unless you are ready to accept you can never move forward in your relationship; this ultimately just leaves the parents frustrated and the child feeling misunderstood, not to mention the problem never gets solved and you are just moving in circles. 

See the World Through Their Eyes

Oftentimes parents are not able to see their children’s problems as real, as to them they may seem insignificant. However they must put themselves in the shoes of their child. Childrens worlds are a lot smaller than that of an older person, so a relatively small problem could be bothering them a lot more than one would think. 

Adapt to Changing Times

Times are changing; we do not live in the 20th century anymore, the internet and the digital world is a key part of our lives, and children are exposed to a lot more knowledge and opinions than that of their parents. This can lead to them fostering a different individual perspective and identity than that of their parents, and parenting them could need a completely different skill set than that that were used on parents themselves. 

Build Empathy and Connection

Parents must learn to get on with the times and become more open minded; like their children and realize that something that may seem insignificant to you could be something very important to them. Empathy is the most critical skill for parenting. 

Heal to Empower Your Parenting

Oftentimes parents who grew up in times where children were a means of labor and born for the purpose of needing more workers, were not given the proper nurture and individual care as a child. While it is understandable that they would struggle to parent their own children, it is certainly no excuse for treating your child in the same not so great manner in which you were treated.

Celebrate Individuality

Stop comparing your child to those around them. The only thing that it brings is disappointment to you as a parent, and leaves the child feeling like they will never be good enough. Each child has their own strengths, you cannot compare them to others and make them feel like they are lacking in some way. Instead foster individuality in the child and make them feel confident in their own skin; this way they can continue to excel in their own field more. 

Listen Before Prescribing Solutions

Parents need to stop taking their children that are facing mental health challenges to the psychiatrist unless extremely necessary. Most problems can be fixed if the child feels heard and understood, and most medicine is unreliable as it differs from person to person and the side effects can be jarring. 

Practice Patience and Understanding

Children are complex. They require time and patience, and problems are not going to be fixed overnight. They might even get worse, but time is the best healer. What you can do to help them is not be impatient with them but rather provide them a safe environment and enough time to figure out their problems. 

Embrace Their Humanity

Kids are bound to make mistakes. A ton of them. That’s how they are supposed to learn. It must not be taken as a sign of misbehavior, but a learning attempt at trying something that didn’t work. It must be addressed as a lesson, not a way in which they have failed you. Them being human also means that your actions and words can have long lasting effects on their mental health. 

Stay Informed and Engaged

Be open with your child, find out what their days look like, what their friends are dealing with, and what are the problems that exist in their world. This will help you not only in understanding your kids but also the lens they view the world through.