Sure Fire Supportive Parenting Strategies

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There’s nothing worse than seeing those parents at the school gates who are boastful and pushy.
They regale you with their little darlings achievements from running the local cross country event
in a course record time to the fact that their little cherub achieved the highest grade ever in the
most recent maths test. When you see the kids come out of school, your kids are beaming and
full of toothy grins, while their offspring look miserable and tired. You need to find the perfect
balance between being supportive and pushy. Some kids need a little bit of extra oomph to get
them engaging with anything, but turn pushy by trying to live your life through your child and you
build nothing but resentment. Instead, look at these ways to flex your supportive parenting muscles.

Listen

As the adult, we can become a little too used to hearing our own voices within the home. Instead
of lecturing your kids, allow them to express their views freely. Listen to your little darling when
they explain that they are having friendship issues at school or that they are struggling with a
topic in lessons. If you don’t you risk your child bottling up their feelings which is not conducive
to their mental health. Instead, you need to help their self confidence to flourish. Suggest hiring
the services of a tutor or encourage them to check out some of the worksheets available from
Cazoom Maths if they are struggling with number, trigonometry or algebra.You might fancy giving
them some extra tablet time to explore educational games and apps. Make sure that you don’t put
too much pressure on them and simply listen before rushing in and trying to rectify a problem.
Don’t make a mountain out of a molehill.

Encourage

If your child is not academically gifted, they will have other talents that you should encourage.
Don’t put pressure on them to get better at maths or English or science. Many parents
dream of their kids becoming lawyers, doctors or financial experts. However, not every child has
an aptitude for this sort of career. Even if they do, they might prefer to explore their artistic, creative
or sporting abilities. If your child shows an interest in a hobby, support them. They might want to try
martial arts, learning a musical instrument or acting. Find them a local club and let them explore their
passions. These hobbies may peter out but they might become something more. Be there and be
supportive. Extracurricular activities will do wonders for your child’s confidence and will help them
in new social situations when meeting new people.

Talk

Many families struggle to spend time together in the twenty first century. Social schedules may
mean that you are like ships passing in the night. While this is natural, it’s vital that you make some
time for quality family moments. This might be a movie night every Saturday and having at least three
dinners each week together around the dining room table. Here, you can talk about your days, your
plans and your exciting family holiday for that year. Being together is key to foster your supportive
parenting skills.

Being supportive means being encouraging rather than pushy. Follow this guide and your kids will
appreciate your parenting skills.

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