Hat's Off to Parents - the Great Art of Raising Children

Raising children is both a joy and a challenge and balancing it all can be overwhelming at times. Sure, they're cute and cuddly at birth, but getting them through the many years to adulthood is not such a leisurely walk in the park! rnMy personal take is that the basic role of a parent is to equip one’s children with the knowledge, skills and insight needed for them to grow into well balanced, caring, independent, capable, responsible, fulfilled and contributing members of the community. No small feat! Even saying it is hard. Providing the love and support our children need in order for them to achieve this is a huge responsibility.rnParenting requires us, the parents, to continue learning and growing as individuals as we model the behaviours and attitudes we want our children to learn, whilst also instilling in them the values and qualities that we believe will hold them in good stead for life.rnFulfilling this role can be quite daunting, especially as our children enter each new phase of development and all the strategies that were working beautifully before suddenly become completely ineffective!rnSuccessful parenting requires a constant evolution of methods and techniques to maintain good communication and a supportive learning environment. We need to continually make sure that our expectations are realistic, our boundaries are clear and the consequences and rewards we set in place are age appropriate. Although there are many books on the subject, locating a book that will provide the answers or insight that you require at any given point in time can be equivalent good luck to winning the lottery! That's why most parents don't read much, if anything, on the subject of parenting once the pregnancy and child birth books are packed away.rnHuman nature enjoys personal attention and active interaction with people is the preferred learning tool. As such, we tend to resource information through discussion of issues and sharing thoughts, feelings, struggles and experiences with friends and family.rnThe only down side to this is—what if this doesn't provide us with effective strategies, advice and information to take some of the guesswork and frustration out of the parenting experience and provide real solutions to resolving conflict with children and teenagers? We need methods of empowering our children and supporting their independence whilst also ensuring their safety and general well being. rnThere are a number of issues which cause a great deal of concern for parents of young children and teenagers that, if you employ an effective strategy in a timely fashion, can be resolved quickly and easily. The truth is, sometimes it pays to get the right advice. If you had an electrical problem you’d call an electrician right? So, when life throws you a question or dilemma you feel unprepared for, or when you’re up against a wall and not sure which way to turn, call and book a one-off appointment with a professional counsellor who can take the stress out of it for you and set you back on the right track.rnAs parents, we often think that we “should” be able to work everything out for ourselves but that is simply not the case. Being a good parent is not about knowing everything and having all the answers. Parenting is done by fallible humans who don’t even have all the answers for their own lives, let alone those of their children. rnBeing a good parent is more about being able to use resources wisely to find the answers and to ask for help and advice when it’s needed. So, don’t be afraid to consult a professional, whether it’s an electrician or a counsellor—it could still save you from pending disaster!