Building Parenting Skills At Different Stages – Be The Best Parent

Parenting is not a task to complete. It is lifelong worship that you do with your child and for your child. Every stage takes a different kind of parenting skill. You cannot apply set rules or a certain code of conduct at every level. To make it more understandable, you cannot treat a 2-year kid and a 12-year kid the same. As a responsible and caring parent, one must act and react to the situation accordingly. This blog may help parents learn parenting skills at different stages of childhood and teenagers.

Different Parenting Skills At Different Stages

0-2 years (Infants)

At this stage, your child is being born and growing up, and you love everything about him/her. Their first cry, smile, crawl, teeth, step, word, and many more things. For their care and nourishment, a parent need not have a fixed set of rules or code of conduct. Parenting skills come naturally when you become parents. However, there is some sort of parenting skills that parents should consider appropriately caring for their baby.

• A parent should remain close and give warmth and comfort after the newborn enters this new world. This will help in building a strong bond between parents and children.
• It is the responsibility of parents to create a good environment for the child to build a healthy life for them since its birth.
• Breastfeeding is essential for your child up to 2 years of age. Along with that, a proper nutritious diet is required for the overall development of a kid.
• It’s important to use a soft and calm voice while talking to your child to make them feel loved.
• One must control their anger and emotions before the baby because we all know that children are the best imitators.

2-5 years (Toddlers)

This stage is considered scary at times for parents because a child desires to do everything on their own, like climbing stairs, trying to touch everything, and the list goes on. It is the time when they are not capable of their sense to identify where the risk lies. There are a few points that you can consider for handling a toddler at this stage.

• As a parent, one should always devote their precious time for their child from their busy schedule and play and make them learn.
• Teach them about the risk involved in various activities. Let them be creative under your supervision and always praise them for their small achievements.
• Try to teach 5 Golden Rules (Thank You, Sorry, Excuse me, May I, Please) as this is the growing period and the best time for learning good habits.
• Never stop to relish their childhood in fear of getting a messy house. Also, read here about Parenting in a digital world.

6-12 years (Middle childhood)

This is one of the most important parenting stages in an individual’s life. Or, we can say, this is the moulding stage in a child’s life and is to be done with utmost love and care. This is when you must teach your child values and etiquettes along with academics.

• One of the essential parenting skills applied here is that you should respect your kids so that you will get the same.
• At this stage, you must tell your kids to obey certain rules but make them understand the importance of these rules.
• They must be taught good habits and moral values like respecting their elders, helping others, cleanliness, doing work on their own, speaking politely, sharing, caring, love for nature and animals, and kindness.
• Inculcate a habit of accepting mistakes and saying “sorry” and, along with that, teach them to forgive other mistakes.
• The most important task for parents is to build a firm belief and faith in God.
• You must be a mixture of Authoritarian, Authoritative, and permissive parents. At times you have to be strict and firm, be a guide who welcomes their likes and dislikes, accepts suggestions, and involves them in daily activities.
• Try motivating and appreciating them on little things.
• Help them in finding out their creativity and hidden talent.
• Do not pressurize them for anything, be it academics or non-academics.
• When your child comes to share something, keep aside all the work and listen to them; please do not ignore them.
• Play with them and make them feel loved.

13-19 years (Teenage)

Teenage is considered one of the most difficult stages from a parenting point of view. Now, as your little kid has grown up and can do things independently, understanding everything from their perspective, the parenting done in the previous stage will provide a platform for your Teenage parenting skills. Whatever you have taught and how you have been with your child will reflect here. Now, you need different parenting skills to deal with your teenager.

• You need to explain the reasons behind your rules as one cannot enforce directly on them.
• You must treat them as smart, intelligent, and, most importantly, individuals with their dreams and standpoint.
• Parents who raise their children with authoritative and permissive parenting skills successfully build happiness and a heart full of love in their children. They’re also more likely to be good at decision-making and to take and to fulfil responsibilities on their own.
• You must take on more of a friend role than a parent role.
• Talk to them more often but do not try to be inquisitive all the time.
• Provide them space and freedom, but talk about the consequences before that. Then, let them make decisions and allow them to think and evaluate. If they fail, do not overreact or punish; rather, make them learn from their mistakes. This will eventually help in building self-confidence.
• Children go through hormonal changes at this age. There are mental and emotional disbalances. Love them so that they don’t search for love anywhere else.
• In today’s world, teenagers face many challenges like cybercrimes, bullying, drugs, and many more. You must observe your child’s activities and work on them as needed. Also, ensure they feel safe emotionally, physically, and mentally.

Words From Author

There are different parenting skills at different stages. But the only parenting skill that works at all levels is to invest time, love, and positive energy with your children. Time is the best gift you can give to them. The investment you make will give you fruitful returns later. So learn to make your child your utmost priority.

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