Parenting 101 in 2022

Being a parent is one of the most challenging jobs we will ever have, as well as one of the most rewarding.

‘When God wants to give us a Gift, he wraps it up in a Challenge!’ Well, our children are our Greatest Gifts.
I offer you 6 suggestions from my own experience to support you on your exciting journey of being a parent.

1. Start with the end in mind. Our goal as parents is to raise confident, self- reliant, well-grounded children. Keep your core values in mind as you interact with your children daily. This will provide you with a guide on how to address day-to-day life and keep you heading in the direction of your end goal.
2. Spend quality time with your children. Talk to them. They need your time and attention more than you realize.
3. Be a leader in your children’s lives. Your children need you to be strong, and consistent. They will always want to explore their boundaries. And you must know what those boundaries are, and maintain them in order for your children to be confident. They must know that you are in charge. Especially in their teen years when this may not seem as evident. However, these are the critical years when they are learning to be independent, while still needing your strong guidance.
4.  Support your children by being leaders in their lives. Leaders make the tough decisions. Leaders make decisions because they are the right decisions to be made, not necessarily because they are the popular decisions. When you give your child the confidence to make good choices with everyday challenges, and support them in those choices, then when the going gets tough, they will make the right decisions.
5. Manage your child’s use of technology. This is the most difficult task for parents of children of all ages. Children start using iPads at 2 years old, have video games at 11 years old, and teenagers have cellular phones and social media. The good news is that it is possible to use technology as a practical tool, rather than having it consume your child’s every waking hour. You want what is best for your children and therefore limits must be set on when, where, and how technology will be used. Stress to your child that this is not a punishment. This is a gift. You want your child to be happy, and socially well-adjusted.
6. Take care of yourself. Parenting is the most challenging work you will ever do, and to do it well you must be on top of your game 24-7. Exercise, meditate and do things for yourself that keep you grounded, and centered so that you can parent with grace and ease.

Enjoy your journey!
Mahsi Cho

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