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Every parent wants to be kind, considerate and patient with their children. That’s why so many parents have adapted to gentle parenting in the last couple of years. It is because they understand that their children don’t need harsh words or physical retribution in order to do what is good for them. Simply helping them understand the reason behind their decisions will do 90 percent of the job. But it’s hard to take the high road in every situation. After all, parents have lives too, and often busy ones. So explaining things repeatedly to your child can seem tedious and painful. And before you know it, every attempt to be gentle and kind to your child has gone out the window. So, how do you stop this from happening? Here are a few ways in which you can employ the techniques of gentle parenting in real life without losing your cool with your child. Read on to know more!
1. Heading Out The Door
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This is usually the first pitfall of the day. After finding a way to get the kids ready, their lunches packed and everyone ready to go, the easiest time to break a sweat and shout at your kids is when they take forever to get into the car. Every parent knows the challenge of simply getting out the door. One good way to avoid all the chaos that comes with it is to prepare your child to leave ahead of time. This usually serves as a great way to eliminate bad behavior as children become aware of what is expected of them. So, try telling your kids that it’s time to put their shoes on because you leave in 5 minutes. Or tell them that drop off to school is going to begin in 2 minutes. And if your kids are really young try telling them that you are going to leave soon or in a little while, as they will be able to comprehend this better than a specific amount of time. You can even have a bell at the entrance of your house that they can ring once they are ready to go.
2. Time To Turn Of The Screens
Your baby might be a precious angel, but try to take their screens away and they will turn into a little monster. Ending screen time is always tough but it helps to have an explanation at hand whenever you are going to broach the subject. Discuss how much time they are allowed to play a video game or watch a series and what they are going to do after it. You could also use a timer that your child can set themselves. This way they know that they’ve made the decision to end at a certain time which will hold them accountable. Once the timer goes off, offer them something else to do immediately. It could also be another thing they like to do. Like some quick play time before getting ready for bed. This will make the transition that much easier to accomplish.
3. Leaving The Park Or Playdate
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Telling your kids that it’s time to go may just be the hardest thing for them to hear. Kids hate these words and lash out at times. So how do you avoid this without dragging them away? Again, it’s all about discussing expectations beforehand. Talk to your kids before you go to a party or visit the park. You can go over rules, what they are allowed to do and not do. And when they must expect to leave. Kids have a hard time making those transitions so you can say something comforting like “I know it’s hard to leave, but we have to go soon”. This way your child will start saying their goodbyes and will be ready to leave in time.
4. Coming Back From Playing Outside
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Kids aren’t clean. They love to get their hands dirty and love the outdoors. But that’s because they don’t feel the need to get them bathed, cleaned and fed like adults do. It can be stressful to do a whole night time routine, feed the kids and have them tucked in every night when all the kids want to do is jump around some more. The trick here is to take it one step at a time and not put too many expectations on your kids. Keep your focus on the task at hand and you will be able to get through the evening in one piece.
Taking care of kids is never easy, especially if you’re trying to be patient and understanding while doing it. So don’t forget to take a breather if you’re overwhelmed and always lead with kindness.
