Social Media & Pressure to be a “Perfect Parent”

Social Media & Pressure to be a “Perfect Parent”

Part of being a parent is feeling angry, guilty, overwhelmed and confused when it comes to raising your child and accepting that mistakes are inevitably going to happen. You can read as many parenting books, articles and blogs as you want, and no matter what, life is still going to happen, and it isn’t always pleasant. Striving to be the perfect parent will become tiring and may create feelings of self-defeat.

Parenting Style

When parenting, you have to trust your own instincts. Remember, you know your child the best, and often as the parent you know a lot more than you think you do. Accept the fact that both you and your child are going to make mistakes, but what matters is finding the right solution and learning from it to better yourselves. Focusing on aspects of the parent-child relationship, like communication, is important. Many common problems can be avoided if communication is open and clear, and both parties understand what is being communicated.

Flexibility

As for your child, keep in mind that there is a spectrum of developmental milestones and you have to be patient with your child. Not all children develop at the same rate. Accepting your child for who they are and become is important, and as the parent you should be flexible. Allow your children to explore their own interests and hobbies and encourage them to be themselves, and most importantly, accept them. Your parenting style can reflect and affect your child’s development and behavior.

Social Media

In today’s world of social media usage, it is so easy to get caught up in the opinion of others and succumb to things you read online. This goes back to trusting your own instincts as a parent. Yes, it is okay to get online and share proud parent moments or to ask and research a parenting question from time to time, but don’t depend on social media for all of your answers and opinions. No one is perfect and that’s okay: instead, strive to be the best parent you can be to your child.

Source:

Healthy Children

 

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