Parenting styles are as diverse as people themselves. Choosing the right type of parenting style that resonates with you might just be the key to unlocking the best in your child, no matter what the internet and pop psychology tell you.
With its focus on empathy and mutual respect, gentle parenting has gained significant popularity in recent years. However, many parents find themselves at a loss when this approach doesn’t yield the desired results. The frustration of unresponsive children and persistent behavioural issues can leave even the most dedicated practitioners questioning their methods.
In these moments of parental doubt and exhaustion, it’s natural to seek a brief escape from the challenges of child-rearing. Some parents might find solace in simple diversions, like the free spin games offered by Spin Casino, as a way to unwind and recharge. While it’s important to address parenting struggles head-on, taking short breaks for self-care can be crucial for maintaining patience and perspective. As parents navigate the complexities of raising children, finding a balance between consistent parenting strategies and moments of personal respite becomes essential for long-term success and family harmony.
Is Gentle Parenting All It’s Cracked Up To Be?
Gentle parenting is known for its approach that focuses on your child as a person; about communication and understanding, and respect and empathy. It’s also about showing consistency throughout your interactions with your child, going about things in this chilled style, while still putting in place boundaries.
Now, while this approach may work well for some children and some parents, for others it simply just doesn’t seem to work. But why?
Are You Ready For Gentle Parenting
First-time parents can feel overwhelmed with the amount of information available online, with conflicting theories and styles of bringing up children.
One of the best things that you can do as a parent is to seek out therapy yourself to determine which style of parenting might work for both you and your child. Dealing with your own insecurities and confusions first will set you up for success with your child, and ensure that you present a cohesive, consistent message and style.
With gentle parenting, one of the biggest missteps that parents make is in flipping back to their default mode of parenting, which is often what you have inherited from your own parents. If your parents weren’t very present in your childhood, you might revert to the permissive parenting style. If you were yelled at as a child when you did the wrong thing, you might find yourself raising your voice too.
The most important thing here is understanding yourself so that you can be the best parent you can be, bringing your own unique flair to your relationship with your child.
Is Your Child Ready for Gentle Parenting?
If you have your metaphorical house in order, and you’ve been trying gentle parenting, and it’s simply not working, it may be that this type of communication isn’t gelling with your child. This can be down to a number of reasons. It may be that your child has some communication difficulties, has learned behaviours from other children or people, or you aren’t quite getting the message across correctly.
A child psychologist may be a great place to try and decipher where the wires are getting crossed when you’re practicing gentle parenting. The child psychologist uses play practices and activities to get to know your child, and chats to you about you and your child’s interactions, to gauge what is going on for the full picture.
After sessions with a child psychologist, you’ll gain a much greater insight into what’s happening in your parenting style and what’s happening in your child’s inner world, too.
Gentle Parenting Might Be TooGentle
While understanding your child’s emotions and communicating on that level with them is all well and good in theory, children must still be taught. There is no innate level of understanding like you’d relate to other adults. Trying to get your three-year-old to understand and explain their emotions on a deeper level is simply almost impossible.
The best you can do is try and equip your child with the language to explain their inner world while showing how others also act in the world. Parenting is about showing your children the rules of the world, how to enjoy themselves, be proud and productive, brave and engaged.
There is a lot for children to learn, and with the right tools, schools, groups, and people around you and your child, you can help ensure they have the very best start to life possible – no matter the resources you do or don’t have. Remember: you are still in charge, you’re not your child’s best friend or their therapist, you’re their number one teacher in life, instead.
Our super author here at Famous Parenting and an absolute wealth of knowledge. She has studied many topics including creative writing, psychology and journalism but her real passion lies in raising her 3 children. Between working from home, homeschooling her youngest 2 children and navigating the world of teenagers she is a guru for parents.
