“Kids don’t come with a manual, or so the adage goes. But perhaps the next best thing for me as a modern parent is some input from the experts.
My wife and I agree that there are various parenting styles, though people may not follow one specific model. Every child is unique, thus what works for one might not work for the other. Ultimately, we believe that whatever style we use, the child should be at the centre.
We are all different. What works for me might not work for others, especially considering one’s environment and culture. Some parenting styles are shaped to conform to society’s dos and dont’s.
We usually apply positive parenting, mainly in the area of discipline.
I would say we broadly follow the authoritative style. As much as we take into consideration our children’s feelings, they still need our guidance and boundaries because they are still at an age where there are more emotional than logical.
Some of the parenting guidelines are made up of what we have adopted from our parents, as they are our role models, and from our cultural upbringing.
My wife is an early years educator and she has also adopted some valuable guidelines for parenting from her profession.
As a journalist, I rely on newspapers for a lot of my information about parenting trends. We do browse forums on the internet about various issues that children go through are useful when you face unfamiliar situations.
We involve our parents, in our own parenting, to let our children know that even their grandparents want the best for them and what we are teaching them is not out of this world.
Regarding challenges, as children grow, they face various transitions and, when they do, it can be stressful for all parties involved. Children have to adjust to the changes as well as parents. For instance, when a sibling is born everyone in the family has to adjust to this transition. As much as there is so much literature to support this transition, the reality is different for everyone. In cases where it becomes very overwhelming for the parents the children can become insecure, when children are insecure they sometimes act out to get attention from their parents.
And the rewards? Children are like a rainbow after a storm. When you are involved in your child’s life — even when you think that they are not listening — at very crucial moments they keep showing you that they are worth all the effort.
In terms of compatibility on parenting approach with my spouse, we generally agree, possibly because of our similar religious and cultural background and I would say we sometimes have different opinions, especially when it comes to understanding their differences as girls (one) and boys (two).
