The relationship between children and parents remains one of the most contentious issues; after all, it is within the family that the new citizen is primarily conceived. So, society’s foundation is definitely dependent on how the new people are brought up.
But education and upbringing are huge challenges, because there is no ideal recipe, no secret formula, nor an instruction manual that shows exactly how it should be done. In any case, it is essential that the relationship between parents and children is very well established.
Doubt and difficulty will surely come up in this journey, which is why this article goes over some reasons why you need to build a stronger rapport with your children. In this article, you will find some ways in which you can work on your relationship with the children so that the cohabitation is pleasant and helps in their development. Stay tuned!
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The complexity of raising a child
It would be great if each child came with their own instruction manual, just like when we buy a car or household appliances, but real life is not like that. Precisely for this reason, parents can have difficulty educating and raising children.
While there are many theories and studies that show how development happens, when it comes to practice, things seem to be quite different. Challenges arise constantly and are always changing.
However, maintaining a good relationship between parents and children is essential, as the family is the first social base that children encounter. It is in this small universe that they are trained, so to speak, to live in the world outside.
It is also up to parents to contribute to the development of skills and competencies that are essential for children to grow up healthily, learn well and be ready to overcome the challenges that life brings.
Motherhood and fatherhood are surrounded by many doubts, uncertainties and even guilt. Parents always believe that they could have done things differently, that there was a better way to act, that they are failing in some way, but this thought demonstrates the desire to get things right and drives the search for the best way to relate to their children.
Relationship between parents and children
We cannot deny that all this complexity involved in raising a child can leave parents feeling a little lost about what to do. However, it is very important to understand your own questions and always be looking for information to act correctly.
The first step is to worry about maintaining a good relationship between parents and children, after all, it is essential that you have their trust so that they have in you a role model, a safe haven, someone they can count on at any time.
We must raise them with the awareness that they will lead their own lives, however, the family foundations cannot be lost, so that you do not become strangers to each other. Therefore, your children need to know that you will always be there to provide support, encouragement, affection and understanding when necessary.
A good relationship between parents and children contributes in different ways to the development of children at all stages. Below, we list some reasons that explain why you need to cultivate this healthy relationship.
A child’s cognitive development depends on their parents
Cognitive development consists of discovering and perfecting skills so that the child can understand how the world works, how relationships between people occur, how things influence each other and how their own body and mind work.
They need to experience things and have their questions answered to achieve this learning. This depends a lot on the parents, as this development begins during the baby phase and continues until the end of adolescence and into adulthood.
Values are transmitted by the family
A good relationship between parents and children is also essential to forming ethical citizens who are aware of their role. It is the family that passes on values to the new generations, showing them what is right and wrong.
It is true that this can often be discovered outside, but the beginning of everything is at home, learning, for example, the magic words, the importance of empathy, solidarity, tolerance, patience and respect, among other values that are fundamental for living together in society.
Learning starts at home
Parents are often concerned about what their children will learn at school, but this starts much earlier. It is at home that children will learn the most basic things that are essential for their lives, such as how to walk, get dressed, use cutlery, maintain personal hygiene, keep the environment tidy, treat people well, among many others.
This type of learning is one of the most important, as it ensures that the child will know how to live in society and take care of themselves , but it is not limited to that, because parents also teach the names of things, how to eat, colors, among other information that will form the children’s prior knowledge and the basis that they will use at school.
How to improve your relationship with your child
You would have seen that the bond between parents and children is one by which children grow healthily. However, adults need to learn that this bond is not so perfect and that both the sides learn from each other. Mistakes will happen; however, everything does not have to be perfect for them to strengthen ties and have a strong and healthy bond.
It is not important for you to give in to your child’s every whim, because that is not what he or she needs. The fundamental points are your presence, your interest, sincerity, support, affection, understanding and encouragement, among others, but he or she must also understand that certain limits need to be respected.
Rest assured that saying “no” will not cause any trauma, and is important for helping your child deal with frustration and learn that it takes effort to achieve goals and objectives. This will not make your child love you any less.
Below, we leave you with some tips to help you understand how to improve this relationship with your child, in order to provide good experiences and a positive impact on their development:
- pay attention to your child when he talks to you;
- look at the child when he or she is speaking and when you speak;
- share your experiences and talk about your own life;
- give your child an opportunity to talk to you;
- always be willing to listen and help;
- seek to understand and instruct without making judgments or destructive criticism;
- answer the questions honestly;
- be present at important moments;
- set aside time to spend with your child;
- plan family activities;
- ask how the day was;
- know how to be firm when necessary.
Agreement does not necessarily have to be established on everything to maintain good relations between parents and children, but to be available and interested with a will to help whenever needed can surely establish bonds of trust with these positive impressions being long-lived.
