Introduction
Parenting is a task with many variables, from physical care and affection to challenging psychological moments and conversations occurring in a family. Parents have an essential responsibility to balance personal boundaries and an active role in the child’s life. Several aspects in this area are most interesting for discussion: discipline, social networks, different approaches, and sex and drugs discussion. Further, each point and its characteristics and examples will be investigated.
Discipline
Parents often underestimate the role of discipline in their relationship with their children. This usually leads to total misunderstanding in the family because chaotic upbringing and inconsistency of actions and emotions of an adult create chaos in a child’s personality. Parents press when it is reasonable to support, intervene when appropriate to allow acquiring personal experience, prohibit what is reasonable to allow, and so on.
Therefore, the introduction of discipline in family relationships from the very childhood of the child is critically necessary. It should be built on respect for personal boundaries, open discussion of emotions, and the principles of a safe environment and unconditional love. In other words, the child should not feel that the care and support of the parent are dependent on external factors and, therefore, changeable.
Social media
Social media is another challenging aspect of parenting, as well as a subject of controversy and even conflicts. Children are more receptive to various innovations than adults, and they master the Internet space much faster. Parents need to understand that forbidding their children to use the Internet and social networks is useless and will only cause aggression and misunderstanding.
It is crucial to explain to the child what opportunities and dangers the Internet presents. Of course, this kind of conversation depends on the child’s age. However, it is best to show by example that there is real life and healthy socializing communication outside. Misuse of social media can lead to more immature, impulsive, inattentive, and less empathic children.
What I do differently
In parenting, parents often seek to correct the past generation’s mistakes or avoid situations that have arisen in other families. Doing things differently is becoming an important criterion and even a challenge for parents. Indeed, with the flourishing of psychotherapy, people have more awareness and understanding of how to treat the child correctly. However, it is worth noting that the acceptable parenting styles even today are vastly different.
Therefore, to excel and be better, parents should remember that the most important thing is to be consistent in family relationships. Most likely, this characteristic will allow avoiding the mistakes of grandparents. For example, you can give your child more freedom to make decisions instead of imperatively telling them what to do. This will help nurture an independent and responsible member of society.
Sex and drugs
Essential and delicate topic for family discussion is sex and drugs. Meanwhile, adolescents are almost inevitably faced with both, and without the support and guidance of an adult, they can have traumatic experiences. Hushing up specific topics contributes to their stigmatization, which often only increases the level of interest. Despite the principle of personal boundaries and autonomy, sex and drugs can pose a danger to a child if adults fail to communicate these aspects properly.
To keep the child safe and prevent traumatic experience, parents must maintain an open and secure family environment. There should be no forbidden topics, especially if they are potentially dangerous. Children should have access to information and not hesitate to ask for help. It is vital to give an objective scientific assessment of sex and drugs, talk about methods of protection, diseases, and physiology.
Conclusion
It should be emphasized that parenting is undoubtedly a wonderful but complex social role. The main point is to create an open environment for dialogue and not to be afraid of mistakes. Despite all the responsibility, parents must be aware that it is not possible to protect the child from everything, from any injury. In addition, the personality is formed through traumatic experiences. Personally, what I like most is watching children make decisions independently and learn from their mistakes.