As parents we do not have an instruction manual on how to raise kids; most of us learn as we go.
What are the worse mistakes we can make as parents?
Here is a list of the top three biggest mistakes we as parents can make.
1) Staying in an abusive or bad relationship or marriage just to keep the family together.
Staying in an abusive or bad marriage or relationship just to keep the family together can cause serious emotional and mental damage to a child. Staying in an abusive relationship teaches children this bad behavior is acceptable and this behavior is passed down to the child.
After you have tried marriage and family counseling and if the behavior of the offending parent has not changed the best thing to do is to leave the relationship ASAP! The sooner and the younger the children are the easier it will be for them to adjust. Don’t stay in a bad relationship for years just to keep the family together teenagers have the hardest time adjusting and again staying in a relationship where you are treated bad only teaches children that the bad behavior is ok, and if you are being abused chances are your children are also receiving some form of abuse also.
2)Doing it all for your children.
Doing everything for your kids even at a very young age is a bad idea. Teach your kids from a very young age as soon as they start walking to clean up after themselves. Simple tasks for toddlers like picking up toys, By age 4 or 5 they can wipe off tables, and help with dishes. From about age 10 and up they should have a list of chores to complete on a daily basis.
Doing everything for your kids will not teach your kids responsibility. They need to learn to do for themselves from a very young age.
3)Always praising and never giving constructive criticism.
Ok sometimes we need to criticize things our children are doing. Do not always tell your children they are perfect and everything they do is just great.
We are talking humility here, which makes for better well rounded human beings.
You don’t want your child growing up thinking they are better than or perfect only to be very disappointed as they step into the great big world of there is always someone better out there.
Doing this will cause your child to be spoiled and self centered. You want a child with compassion for others. When your child is not perfect tell them and help them to work thru things then praise them for correcting mistakes or working hard. Show them how important it is to include others and work as a team.
None of us are perfect parents but being involved and trying to avoid mistakes as a parent is all we can do. Learning from our mistakes and teaching our children to learn from ours and theirs are about the best things we can do for our children.