What a lot of parents think about when they are about to have a baby is how they can be the best parent(s) to their child. While being the best parent is necessary, being a real one is compulsory. Being a real parent should be more important because the latter seeks a better result than the former. Being the best parent in the world could mean attending to everything your child wants, including the unnecessary ones. On the other hand, being a real parent entails you attending to your child’s needs not necessarily what he wants. Real parents see that their children are physically and psychologically fit. They follow up on their children’s activities, what they do in their playtime, the kind of friends they have, the type of TV shows they watch, the kind of food they eat, et cetera. Real parents discipline their children, not in an abusive way but a cultured way.
To be a real parent, you must make sure to:
Be a good listener.
Children have a lot going in their lives. If you as a parent are not careful, you might get carried away with the activities going on in your life and not pay attention to your children. Take time out to speak to them. Don’t make it a serious and boring talk. Children hate those. Spend time with your kids on a family vacation or on special occasions such as their birthdays, etc.
Don’t judge them
Understanding who your kids are should be a priority right from an early age. Judging them for things they have done wrong will only create a drift between you and your children. There’s an alternative way of making them see the correction of the wrong they have done. Sometimes you may have to be a little hard on your kids to instill discipline in them but the way you choose to do this, try not to judge them or compare them to any other kid. It kills their self-esteem.
Don’t own them
Yes, they are your kids, and yes you gave birth to them or you have been with them for a very long time as their guardian. This, however, doesn’t make you entitled to making decisions they should make themselves. It is not wrong to help your children make the right decisions, but this should be done at an earlier age. Once they are old enough to make choices, give them the liberty of doing so.
It is a lot convenient being the best parent in the world but being a real parent means being disciplined. Your children mirror you. They pick up your expressions, language, they watch your response to a particular circumstance. All it takes it to be real with yourself.