The 5 Pillars of Parenting

Which are the 5 important pillars of parenting? Read on to learn more about them and boost your parenting skills.Parenting is one of the toughest and yet one of the most enjoyable roles you will be offered in this life. Parenting is definitely not easy and if you are a new parent you will definitely be on the lookout for some active help in this department. Here are the 5 pillars of parenting that will help you get a good grasp on this complex but incredibly beautiful role. In this articleBe What You Want Your Kids to BeLove UnconditionallyInvolve Yourself in Your Child’s LifeIncorporate DisciplineUnderstand your Child1. Be What You Want Your Kids to BeChildren learn more by observation and emulation than they learn by listening to advice and lectures. It is very important for parents to stick to the old adage “practice what you preach” if they want to do justice to their roles.Children are very sharp and observant and tend to pick out hypocrisy pretty easily. So, if you constantly advise your kids on practicing truthfulness and courtesy then you need to follow these qualities in your life too.If your kids see you talking rudely to the waiter or to random people in the road they will quickly learn these traits and all your instructions on courtesy will go unattended. The same holds true for any other quality that you might want to teach your children. Becoming a good person is a basic requirement of becoming a good parent.2. Love UnconditionallyMost parents confuse the expression of love with concepts like leniency, material abundance and lowered levels of expectations. While love is a feeling that can have many manifestations it is up to the parent who needs to show this love in a secure yet non indulgent way.Most children organically understand when they are genuinely loved by parents. Do not confuse love with lack of discipline and abundance of material gifts as these things will only harm your child in the long run. Praise your kids when they deserve it, shower them with physical demonstration of affection and lead them on the path of a virtuous and disciplined life.3. Involve Yourself in Your Child’s LifeIn the early stages of a child’s life it is imperative that a parent’s involvement in the child’s life is complete. As and when the child grows up, the need for the parent’s involvement decreases as the child is able to take care of many activities on his or her own. However, the involvement of a parent is still essential as a form of guiding, motivating and sometimes restraining force.Children intrinsically understand and give importance to those areas in which their parent shows interest. For example if you value education and want your kid to pay importance to academics then stay involved with your child’s school while taking pains to understand the areas where your child lags behind.4. Incorporate DisciplineDiscipline is one of the most important aspects of good parenting. A good parent brings structure and direction into the life of children and that is only possible through discipline. Discipline however does not mean corporal punishment, yelling, using abusive or demeaning the child. These acts can only have a severe negative effect on children. Positive methods of discipline include honest communication, leading by example, motivation and reward and penalty systems.5. Understand your ChildYour child is wonderfully unique so do not expect him or her to be a carbon copy of all that you desire for. The fifth and most essential pillar of parenting is understanding the true nature of kids. Know what makes your child and what irks him or her. Know the strengths, weaknesses, talents and abilities of your children and learn to appreciate them for what they are instead of pushing them to become what you want to them.These 5 pillars of parenting will help you become a better parent who is more attuned to the needs of children. Start practicing them from today to reap the best results.What are the pillars of parenting? How can one become a good parent? What are the ways to improve parenting skills? Discuss here.