As parents, we want the best for our children. We want them to grow up as healthy, happy, mindful, and empathetic individuals who can add value to their community and bring about positive change in the world. To achieve that we need to enable the holistic wellbeing of our children, by taking care of their body, mind, and spirit.
While children are naturally programmed to grow and flourish, they need to be tended and constantly supervised. And as adults, we need to enable their development by providing them with safe spaces - both emotional and physical - to thrive. According to Prakriti Poddar, Global Head of Mental Health & Wellbeing, RoundGlass Living app has shared some simple parenting tips to help raise mindful, healthy, and happy children:
Listen Up and Pay Attention: The greatest gift we can give our children is the gift of our undivided attention - listening not just with our ears, but with our whole being, with our hearts. As parents and guardians, we need to be more mindful, more receptive to what our children are saying. We need to learn to respond to children's negative emotions and outbursts instead of reacting and enable their mental well-being by showering them with our unconditional love and support.
Embrace Emotions: Teach them to embrace their emotions instead of feeling guilty about them or even hating them. They need to feel okay about crying or feeling jealous or angry as long as they know that these are just emotions and will pass. We need to make them realize that expressing vulnerability is a sign of strength, even when it feels uncomfortable. Let's encourage the emotional intelligence of our children and support them through their ups and downs. This will lead to better management of emotions and lower reactivity.
Communicate and Be Authentic: If you have a 13 or 14-year-old, it's time to start talking about relationships, life’s goals, and realities. Having open and honest communication is key. And while talking to them, uplift and support their self-esteem and mental health by choosing words wisely and encouraging their confidence and acceptance. Teach them to express their thoughts, feelings, and boundaries, while listening with empathy.
Respect Boundaries: As parents, establishing healthy boundaries for our children is crucial. We have to be consistent in enforcing rules and boundaries as they provide them with a safety net while encouraging them to start taking their own decisions.
Introduce Self-Care: From an early age, introduce them to self-care practices like healthy eating, daily exercise, good sleep, meditation, and mindfulness. These will help them deal with the stresses of school life and help pile up their well-being reserves. The best way to initiate them to self-care is to practice it yourself. They shouldn’t see it as an indulgence but as a necessity for their overall well-being.
And never miss a chance to tell them how much you love them and how much you care. Boost their self-confidence, one phrase at a time! Share these empowering words with your child every day to help her shine like a bright star.
