Last Updated on September 13, 2024
Raising children is one of the toughest, most fulfilling jobs in the world, and one for which you may feel least prepared. Parenting is full of challenges and complexities, and the more you do to improve your parenting skills, the better equipped you will be to meet those challenges.
Here are a few parenting tips to help you feel more fulfilled as a parent.
Maintain balance in your life
One of the issues many parents struggle with is the difficulty of maintaining balance in their lives once they have children. This is because there are so many responsibilities to deal with that sometimes you feel like you’re drowning in a sea of trivia, tasks, and obligations. Parents can and should maintain balance in certain aspects of their lives, such as work, family, structure, freedom, listening, quality time, and making time for themselves. It’s important to do everything you can to make your life more balanced, as this will help you stay in tip-top shape and be a better parent.
Make friends with other parents
Trying to make friends with other parents, especially those with children of similar ages, can be a game changer. Not only does this provide ample opportunity for play dates and get-togethers, but you can also use each other as a sounding board to express the parenting struggles and difficulties you may be going through and offer each other support. Making friends with other parents is a great way to ease the struggles and burdens of parenthood, especially if you find things difficult.
Develop a healthy routine
Stick to roughly the same schedule every day. Consistency is really important for kids, so figure out a schedule that works for your family and stick to it as much as possible. This way, your child will know what to expect at the beginning of each day. This predictability helps to give them a sense of stability and structure.
Schedule extracurricular activities for your child
While you don’t have to sign your child up for ten different activities every week, it’s a good idea to find at least one or two that your child enjoys doing and incorporate them into your child’s weekly routine. This can be anything from soccer to art class – any organized group activity can bring real benefits to your child, from teaching them to socialize and cooperate to boosting their self-esteem. As a bonus, extracurricular activities and sports can help improve a child’s concentration in school.
Allow your child unscheduled play time throughout the day
Too much unstructured time can lead to boredom, and bored kids tend to get into trouble. On the other hand, if your child’s day is planned down to the minute, they won’t learn how to entertain themselves. During that free time, encourage your children to play with their toys, make creative games, play dress-up, go outside, read a book, or whatever else they enjoy doing as long as they enjoy being in control of their time.
Take time to listen to your child
Children won’t feel respected or cared for if you never listen to them, or if you spend all your time barking orders at them. Instead, try to set aside time each day to have one-on-one conversations with your child. Give them your full attention when they speak, and show them that you’re listening by saying things like “That makes sense,” “uh-huh,” or “Keep going.” When they are done, repeat what they said in your own words so they know you understood.
Save on the cost of raising a child
Having a baby is a big commitment, and one that costs a lot of money. The USDA estimates that parents will spend an average of $245,340 to raise their children through age 18. Admittedly, children cost money, but not everyone has to spend $250,000 to raise a child:
At first, all they needed was food, diapers and love.
- Breastfeeding is the cheapest way to nourish a baby. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that mothers exclusively breastfeed for the first six months and then continue breastfeeding until the baby is 12 months old.
- Diapers are another absolute necessity. You can choose between two types of diapers, cloth diapers or disposable diapers. Cloth diapers are very economical, not to mention environmentally friendly. With diapers, the average annual cost is about $969. However, there are ways to save on disposable diapers, such as coupons, buying in bulk, stockpiling and knowing which diapers are best for your baby.
- Buy used to save money. Babies quickly outgrow clothes, accessories and toys, which means that many of the used items for sale are actually almost new. Once children are out of infancy, their needs may expand, but don’t confuse what they want with what they need.
When children reach puberty, parents may buy big-ticket items for them.
- Club sports, music lessons and other interests can cost families thousands of dollars in fees, equipment and travel costs. These activities can broaden the horizons of children and are essential expenses, but you can save money by purchasing printers, computers and school supplies from staple. Regular discounts are offered on Staples, and bulk purchases are even better.
- No matter how old your teens are, they can find ways to earn cash to buy the things they want. Summer or part-time jobs are available for teens 15 or older. Young teens can earn cash by doing odd jobs such as babysitting, dog walking or yard work. Or they can make things to sell, such as baked goods or DIY jewelry and art.
Balancing the demands and costs of raising children and other family members is not easy. How you handle your children’s expenses and the family’s financial needs will be unique to you. While parenting is hard work, it’s also rewarding. It’s important to focus on balancing priorities, juggling responsibilities and quickly switching between the needs of your children, other family members and yourself.
