Parenting is a very skilful task and a long way journey. Especially when we are surrounded by technology, parenting in digital era takes a little more effort. In this article there is some tips to improve parenting style.
Parenting is a journey where you learn every day and experience the charm to being a parent.
When we start the journey, we have almost zero experience. We start our parenting with the memories of our parents that are stored in our mind from childhood, how they teach us their values, how they treat us, their mindset, their thoughts.
But there is a difference between us and them as a parent. They didn’t have to deal with digital technology.
Generations plays the most prominent factor between parents and children. Now a days there is another factor called ‘Digitalisation’. It affects us in many ways as there are lots of thing that going digital. Somehow, we are addicted of these all and we can see that how parenting is affected.
Specially after covid children are almost locked in home, no school, no outdoor activity, no social gathering. They are going depended on gadget for study, entertainment, playing or socially. For now, we should be updated as a parent.
There are some basic tips for parenting in this digital time that helps you to improve your parenting.
Friendly environment
Home is the place where you feel comfort and the environment of home effects on child’s mind. Try to make your home environment friendly where they can share everything. No matter what the age of your child, give them comfort to express and explain.
Try to be friend of them, make them feel free to share their emotions, their confusion. Always spare some time from your routine to talk to them where there is no mobile, no TV, no laptop just you and your child.
Make conversation, tell them about your day and your emotions to encourage them, that would create bond with your child. Ask them about their daily chores. Maybe at the dinner table or before going to the bed.
It’s all upon you when you find time you can start conversation like, “hey buddy, what’s going on with life” or “Do you know I had a hectic day, what about you.” and make an open conversation”.
Plan your gadget free time
Gadget free time, it is the best time for you and your family and specially for your child where no gadget interferes between you and your child.
Before plan gadget free time, ask every member of the family for their comfort and make sure to join. You can plan gadget free time once in a week, thrice in fortnight or any at your comfort.
Try to make this time fun time and interesting. Your child feels energised and stress free after a long day and easily connect with you. The advantage of gadget free time is your child will be disconnected from digital and reconnected with you, gain his social emotional skill.
Give them limitations
Totally cut off from digital world may not be possible for new generation but we can put some limitations on the usage. It will ensure less usage of devices and cut off from internet for some time.
Ask them to give suggestions for the time that they would want for usage. And strictly follow the rules of these limitations.
There should be no mobile after 11pm or they cannot use social media more than 1 hour. It is all upon you what limitation would you give them but remember you should ask them first and clear all doubts of them otherwise they will not follow your rules and find out loop holes or the hidden rebel may appear in front of you.
Do not yelling
Smartphones are really addictive as there are lots of things to do on it. Social media, internet, games and many more there to distract them from study and daily routine.
You should understand that your child is young and stuck into flawed technology. This situation is challenging as you know the pros and cons of something and cannot get totally rid of it.
Nagging and yelling is not the solution for it. If you see your child spent more time on smartphone or laptop do not start yelling at them.
They will not respond to you and situation goes out of hands if your child is in preteen or teenage. Talk to them very peacefully and try to solve the problem. Your tone of voice makes huge difference in your conversation and the behaviour of your child.
Help them in study
I’ve seen so many parents to avoid their child whenever they ask for any doubts in study. Parent think it is teacher’s job to solve their doubt.
But when you try to help them in study, they like to engage with you.
Solving their problems together become engaging time for them and they feel protected. It remains forever in their memory and in future they will not hesitate to share their problems as it becomes their habit to ask you for solutions.
Solve their doubts and acknowledge them.
Enjoy Gadget time
Smart phone, laptop, TV etc are a part of our life and we cannot remove it. We all like to spent time on these including our children.
So, make a habit to enjoy this together, with your child and family.
Spare time for watching TV or even social media. There are lots of content on social media that you can enjoy with your family.
Entertaining, educating or fun video whatever your common choice. Remember that gadget time is also as important as gadget free time.
Your child become happy when you put proposal for watching his favourite cartoon or movie together. It increases the stress-free environment and spread happiness all around.
Answer them what they ask
Children are very curious from early age; they always want to find out the solution and being experimenting everything. Their curiosity leads them to asking question and that’s why we see that child at younger age always asking so many questions.
Now a days they live in the digital world where they can find out their solutions from the internet which provide false, mixed up or misinterpret solutions. This information misguides them and leads them to wrong path. So, make habit to answer their questions, try to give answer for everything whatever they ask and if you are unable to answer ask for some time to find out.
Be careful while answering their questions, not give them your thoughts because your perspective maybe differs from your child. Let them think and learn from their surroundings.
Let them experiences surrounding. Work with persuasion with your child, let them understand what’s good and what’s bad. The best practice for this is answer them. Let them questioning everything with anyone. It helps to improve their cognitive skill.
Get in the habit of listen ‘NO’
As a parent we always try to fulfil their demands whatever they ask.
At the younger age we fulfil all the requirement of them. In other word we become totally permissive parent and that is the time where we doing a big mistake.
Parent’s pampering become their persistence, they become stubborn and do their best to convince parent for fulfilling their demand.
To avoid such a situation, break the chain of ‘YES’ for everything. Think before fulfil their demand, whether their demand is justified or not.
Give only those things that are needed otherwise tell them ‘NO”. It will help you throughout the journey of parenting.
Note – Parenting in this digital time be tough as we have to deal with child as well as technology, but if we take some concrete steps to improve our parenting skill it would be easier than ever with the advantage of a beautiful relationship with our child.
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Happy parenting