Positive Parenting: One Stop for Parental Stress and the Healthy Development of Children

Parenting is a very responsive and hard task to accomplish. It requires us to be responsive, encouraging, interactive, set examples, and set boundaries. Let us understand the relationship between parent and child in terms of food and the chef. We all love food the same way we all love children. If the food is good, we appreciate the chef. If the food is bad, we criticize the chef. The same happens in parenting.

We have different styles of parenting, which can be compared to different types of chefs. Some chefs just leave the food on the stove and get into other tasks. Thinking it would cook on its own. And when he returns, he finds the food burned. That’s how uninvolved parents are. They pay little attention, just like the chef.

The next set of chefs are the ones who follow the exact instructions, like the amount of ingredients, the time set for cooking, etc. The chef has high expectations for the taste of the food but fails to love it. Just like the authoritarian parents who develop a strained relationship with the child.

We have another group of chefs who are unsure about the ingredients, the time, or the amount required. They just dump all that they find, leaving food in a mess. They add all the unwanted ingredients out of love for the flavor and end up experiencing an awful taste. Permissive parents are just like this chef, who just showers love in all ways possible but ends with low expectations.

A good chef knows what the exact ingredient is for the dish, is basically certain of what he is preparing, and shows patience throughout the process. Even if something is missing or something goes wrong, it is rectified the very next second. An authoritative parent supports the child’s development and has mutual respect.

To prepare different dishes, we require different ingredients and different processes. In the same way, we need to understand that all children are different and possess different talents. We cannot compare tea and coffee. The same way we cannot compare one child with another,

We can be positive parents by acting in the following ways:

Finding time for our children
Appreciating their achievements
Guiding them during each developmental age on the consequences of each behavior.
Dealing with problematic behavior through positive interactions
Successfully meeting the needs of both the parent and the child.

Let’s strive together to be positive parents and support our children in developing into successful individuals.

#child development #parentingstyles love Parenting Positivity

Josna Johnson Member since May 18, 2023

Josna Johnson has completed her Master's in Psychology from the Indian Institute of Psychology and Research (IIPR). She is currently working as a counsellor at a renowned educational institute named De Sales Academy in Bangalore. She is passionate about writing blogs and researching in the field of psychology. Being a mental health professional, she facilitates workshops and soft skill training.

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