There’s no denying that being a parent is hard work, no matter how old your children are, what gender they are, or how many you have. Everyone’s parenting style is different, and there will always be friends, family members, and complete strangers who will critique the parenting choices you make and judge you—sometimes silently, but often loudly. Don’t let the things others say or do affect how you feel about yourself or your parenting abilities. You do the best you can and are a great parent to your children.
That being said, there are always ways for all of us to improve. Here are 4 ways you can be a better parent, starting right now.
Keep Guns Locked Away
If you are a gun owner you probably are already well aware of the importance of hiding your guns and locking them up so that no accidents ever happen. If you have children, this is even more important. Part of the responsibility of having a handgun is that you will make sure to keep it out of the hands of your children until they are old enough to learn how to handle and shoot it properly.
Talk To Your Children
Talk to your kids about everything that is going on in their lives and encourage them to talk to you whenever they feel like they need to. Making sure that your kids know they won’t be in trouble for bringing up certain topics will help them to be more open with you and tell you their true thoughts. This will not only increase their trust in you but will also help to strengthen your bond and relationship.
Take Time Off
Taking time off work whenever possible is important for not only your own self care and mental health but also goes a long way for the general happiness of your family unit. Taking adequate time off is a great way to spend quality time with your children, learn things about them, teach them things about you, and make memories that neither of you will ever forget.
Encourage Creativity
Encouraging creativity in your children is always a good idea! Even kids who don’t seem interested at first will have fun letting their creativity run wild once they let loose a little bit. Arts, crafts, and other creative outlets have proven time and time again to be helpful with depression, anxiety, PTSD, and many other mental health issues.
It also helps children to get in touch with their inner selves and find out things about who they are. Try helping your kids with their art projects or buy them some new art supplies to get the creative juices flowing.
No matter what you’re doing or not doing, you are a superhero because you are a parent, and that is cause for celebration in and of itself ! But if you are struggling lately and feeling like you aren’t doing your best, try these 4 tips and see how things go! Your kids will be thanking you and hugging you tighter in no time.
