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07/26/2016
1. Let your kids be bored.
Instead of planning out every second of your child’s day or jam-packing their schedule with tons of activities, let them be bored and figure out what to do on their own. Boredom gives kids the opportunity to exercise some creativity, develop initiative and persistence, and set and reach goals. It also provides them with a sense that they can influence their world. When kids are allowed to be bored, they have better physical health, better grades, and a more stable work life in the future.
2. Don’t smooth out all the speed bumps.
Clearing the way of all obstacles undermines a child’s sense of competency and autonomy. If you always rescue them, you indicate that you don’t see them as competent in your eyes. Constant rescuing also gives kids higher levels of anxiety and depression and results in lower grades and less satisfaction in adulthood. So, you have to adjust your involvement to a level that is developmentally appropriate to your child.
3. Heal thyself.
When you’re on an airplane, what do they tell you to do with the oxygen mask? Put it over your face first and then your child’s. Why do they tell you to do that? Because, you need to be able to function and take care of things. Taking care of yourself as a parent is really important. If you have unresolved mental health issues or medical problems, you need to seek help. Parents are more likely to either ignore or totally overreact to a kid’s misbehavior when they’re marred with depression. Adults with ADHD also improve their parenting skills once they’re treated. You’ve got to put the oxygen mask on yourself FIRST.
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