First published: 6 May 2021 @ 2:48 pm
1. Be Present
When you are with your child, really be with them. That means listening to them, not doing something else at the same time. Be attentive to their needs and let them know you care about what they are saying. This builds trust and respect and is good for their self-esteem.
2. Connect Through Play
Your child is a person who is full of curiosity and excitement about life. So be spontaneous and play with them! Whether it’s playing a game or making up a new story together, there are so many fun ways to get connected with your child through play. And this helps develop the “feeling good” chemicals in their brain like dopamine and serotonin which will help them cope with stress better in the future.
3. Provide an Emotional Safety Net
Kids need adults in their lives who love them unconditionally and will always be there for them no matter what they do or say or how much they screw up (and we all do!). So be that person for your child so they know that no matter what happens, you will always love them no matter what.
When kids feel safe like this, it gives them a sense of freedom which allows them to take risks and explore the world around them.
4. Help Them Learn from Their Mistakes
As we’ve talked about in other posts, children learn by making mistakes and then correcting them. So when your child makes a mistake, be sure to let them know you are there to help them learn from it.
Let them know that it’s okay to make mistakes and that they will get better with practice (and if they don’t, you are still proud of them). When you do this, your child will be more likely to take risks because they know that even if they fail, you will still love and support them.
5. Encourage Them to Ask for Help
It’s important for kids to feel like they can ask for help when they need it. If they don’t feel comfortable asking for help, they may try to hide their problems or avoid situations where they think help might be needed.
But when kids know that asking for help is okay, it builds trust between the child and the person helping them which is very important in life.
6. Let Them Take Risks and Make Mistakes (And Then Teach Them From Those Mistakes)
As we mentioned in the last point, children learn by making mistakes and then correcting them. So be sure to let your child take risks and make mistakes so they can learn from them.
7. Love Them Unconditionally
There is nothing more important than your child knowing that you love them no matter what. Because at the end of the day, all they have is you and their family.
So make sure they know that no matter what happens, you will always love them no matter what. And if they feel like this from their family, it will give them a sense of freedom which allows them to take risks and explore the world around them.
If you have found this article helpful, please share it with your friends and family. Make sure to visit our blog, Mature Parent, and read our other articles on parenting for more helpful advice!
