It’s that time of the year when as a mummy, I am contemplating my share of to-do and not-to-do things for the coming year.
I am one of those parents who always wants to learn from my mistakes. And I have made plenty. So as this year comes to an end and the new one begins, here are some parenting mistakes I vow never to do again, starting this new year.
Parenting mistakes I hope to turn to positive parenting this year
1. I will not rush my kids into completing tasks
Come morning and the first thing I do is rush my kids up from sleep. From waking up very early to catching the school bus to eating fast and finishing breakfast, to having lunch and quickly finishing their homework – quickly this and quickly that, I can see that without even realising, I’ve always been rushing my kids the entire day, morning to night.
Not anymore. If they need more time to laze around and eat, I will let them. I will let them do things at their pace instead of rushing them all the time.
2. I will not just be around, I will be there for them
Being the primary caregiver, I am always in the house for my kids. But that does not mean I am giving them all my attention all the time. While that is not humanly possible, I am definitely going to make sure that while I am in the house with my kids, they also know that I am their one stop for everything they ever want to talk about in life.
From their concerns and questions to worries and excitement and any problem they need to take care of, I will be their problem solver, the one they would want to come to.
3. I will not hear them speak, but also listen to their dreams and fears
I hear them the entire day, singing, talking, chattering, saying this and that, and most of the time, honestly, I don’t really listen. But now I will.
From that silly little poem that my little one sings to the things they say to each other when they fight, I will make an effort to understand them better paying attention to all the small details. And yes, not just the spoken word, I will also try to listen to what they don’t say out loud.
4. I will not just make time, I will make quality time
From this year on, I will make sure that I learn to better manage my time, and give more quality time to my kids. If I have more work to do, I will work on a schedule and make time with my kids, doing things that interest them. I will take them to the park, play with them, read more stories out loud, sing and dance with them and make each moment count.
5. I will learn to be easy on myself as a parent
I have realised it very well that unless I am truly happy myself, I will never be able to care for my kids the way I surely can, and should. This year on, I promise to also take care of myself and go a little easy on myself as a parent.
I will not go on guilt trips if I make any parenting errors but instead, I will learn from them. I will take time out for myself, go on trips, do things that relax me and make me feel happy. Because eventually, a happy momma is the one who can raise happy and healthy kids.