As a mother to a boy I feel I have this invisible boulder placed on my shoulders constantly. It is like having something weigh your mind relentlessly. Sometimes I feel like I am devising a new theory to overcome a few notions that have existed for centuries. Then I jolt myself back to reality and tell myself that as a parent my biggest responsibility is to raise a responsible human and the gender of my child shouldn’t be the deciding factor. We all need to raise our kids in a way that they are an equally balance scale of being emotional and realistic.
CHILDREN’S DAY SPECIAL: 5 WAYS TO HELP KIDS EXPRESS THEMSELVES
Here are 6 practical tips for raising an emotionally healthy boy-
Help them rationalize their thought process
As parents we need to applaud their though processes every now and then. We expect them to be positive thinkers however we also need to fuel their realistic thoughts and help them rationalize. It may not always be necessary for them to pass a judgement one everything however you need to help them sort out their thoughts. A certain amount of self-talk and self-motivation is necessary too.
Communication Skills
While we all want our kids to excel academically and even at extracurricular activities, you would also want them be able to express themselves freely. For your kids to be able to talk and express themselves freely, you need to communicate with them openly. Do not condemn their thoughts or questions. Engage in small fun quizzes, story reading and fun games that involve, talking, listening and sharing their thoughts.
Practice along with Preaching
We all love to see people showcasing what they preach and kids love it the most. Kids are observers and they will learn through observing. So if you want them to carry all those values in their hearts and minds, you need to practice it with them. Teach them about motivation, self-control and discipline through different activities including sports.
Self-Care is a must
Kids, mostly see their parents burning themselves out, day in and day out but they rarely see them practicing self-care. Self-care is as much necessary for your mental health as much it is for your overall development. Teach them to take care of themselves and appreciate their own happiness and thoughts.
Do not fence their fears
Your strength and fears are an equal part of you. Do not laugh or put down their doubts and fears, instead help them find ways on how to overcome them. For example, if your children are scared to face a crowd or express themselves freely. You can help them practice small poems or enacting something just with you. You can then gradually include family members. You too can do what the kids are doing and shower words of encouragement.
Gratitude
As adults too we need to express gratitude for all the small and big things in life. Appreciate the nature, appreciate the food on your table and appreciate having a roof over your head. These times of lock down have given us all an opportunity to count our blessings. You can start by asking your kids by the end of the day what all they are thankful for. They may come up with answers like their toys or their food or a TV show they watched. Its ok, let them come up themselves on all things they are grateful for.Communication and appreciation are two most important things that go hand in hand for emotional health. To ensure are kids are mentally strong, we need to help them accept their feelings. We also need to help them channelize their energies and discover their goals. Instead of expecting our kids to fulfill our dreams, let us help them realize their own potential and work towards it.
If you are interested read how parenting can make gender bias kids.
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This blog post has been contributed by Sabiha Gulrays. She is a mommy and an Entrepreneur by profession and a writer by choice. An avid blogger who has a vast corporate experience up her trade.The choice to be a blogger and writer came from her strong urge to sprinkle optimism in people’s lives around the world. She believes that sometimes the most important life lessons get drawn from the most trivial things in life!!
