For most parents, watching their children grow and develop into fully-fledged adults is one of the most rewarding experiences of their lives, but it’s also one of the hardest jobs to do right. Fortunately, parenting expert Vanessa Kahlon has plenty of tips on how to make sure your child grows up well-adjusted and happy. With more than two decades of experience and a master’s in Clinical Psychology, Vanessa has opened her own school, KFS School, a school that caters to the needs of the children and helps them develop into a healthy functional adults.
Here’s what you need to know about parenting from someone who’s been there and done that…
Trust Yourself as a Parent
Parenting is not easy, but if you trust yourself as a parent, it will be easier. When your child is hurting, listen to them and believe what they say. It will make all the difference. Vanessa believes, as a parent, it is important to not be so hard on yourself. At times, it can feel like we are fighting an uphill battle with our kids, but at the end of the day, we have to remember that this too shall pass. The days go by much faster than we think they do and before long our children are grown up and out of the house!
Don’t Be Afraid of Hard Conversations
Be willing to have hard conversations. As parents, we are always faced with a decision of whether or not to address certain topics with our children. We need to be open and honest so that our children can come to us when they need help. This is how we build trust and make them feel safe enough to share their thoughts, feelings, and worries with us. Sometimes these conversations may seem difficult but it’s important for them to know that we are there for them.
Let Them Fail
Vanessa Kahlon is a parenting expert who has been in the business for over two decades. She shares her tips on how to ace this most rewarding job. If you want your children to be successful and happy, let them fail! she says. We all face challenges as we grow up and that is how we learn what our strengths are.
Failure teaches us about ourselves. You will hear parents say things like I don’t want my child to get hurt but if they don’t know what their limits are, they will never know when they have gone too far or too fast. Letting your child fall down and skin their knee can teach them empathy because they will try not to make someone else feel bad. It’s also important that they take ownership of their mistakes so they can fix it on their own which will help build self-esteem.
Practice Patience
Parents will always have to be patient with their kids, but we can’t expect that our children will automatically know what’s best for them, says parenting expert Vanessa Kahlon. We need to guide them and show them the way. In her recently published book, “How To Do Parenting With Confidence”, Vanessa talks about her own experience as a parent and shares valuable tips on how you can raise confident, self-aware kids. She also suggests that parents should practice patience when it comes to disciplining their children because oftentimes they are unaware of what is good or bad for them.
Celebrate Them
It’s not an easy job to be a parent. Many people overlook the many ways parents have to sacrifice for their children and do not give them enough credit. That’s why it’s important to take some time every day just to celebrate your child’s success in any way possible, whether it be by giving them a hug or taking five minutes out of your day to enjoy their presence with you.
Conclusion
It’s not easy to be a parent, but it’s also incredibly rewarding. We owe it to our kids and ourselves to equip ourselves with the best tools possible so that we can take on this challenge, says Vanessa. That means learning as much as you can about parenting from every source you find, reading as much as you can about different approaches to parenting, and always being willing to try new things, she adds. You’re never too old or too young for parenting advice.
