Providing your children with a supportive environment gives them the opportunity to grow and develop. This attitude should be carried over into all aspects of their life. Here are some of the strategies that you can use in order to be as supportive as possible.
Take Time
Taking the time to listen to your children is a good place to start when creating a supportive home. This will allow you to get to know them as a person. It also gives them the opportunity to learn that you care enough to want to spend time with them. View this time as a chance to help develop your kids’ abilities to express their needs and desires. Being able to do this will help them in other parts of their lives. It also helps them know that they are important to you.
Encourage Choices
Encouraging your kids to be involved with activities is a part of them becoming a well-rounded individual. If your kid decides to join the marines, you should educate them and support them. This then means that you’ve become a marine mom and all that it brings with the designation. You need to support their choice about serving their country. Wanting to be a part of this organization just means that you’ve instilled in your child good values that have translated into them wanting to be a part of something larger than themselves.
Reserve Judgments
A judgmental attitude can foster negativity in your children. You need to work on reserving judgement and how you go about expressing yourself. For example, sarcasm is something that’s difficult for your kids to understand. The takeaway that they often receive is that you don’t value them. Instead of being judgmental about a certain situation, ask open-ended questions about other ways that situations could have been handled.
Engage in Sharing
So many parents make the mistake of refusing to share their emotions with their kids. All this does is teach your kids that they should bottle up their own emotions. It’s healthier for your kids to see that you have emotions. Make sure to discuss them openly so that you can foster a more supportive environment. It gives your children the opportunity to learn better ways to handle emotionally-charged situations without getting frustrated and lashing out.
It’s never too late to get on board with being a supportive parent. Use these tips to help you foster and create a more supportive and positive atmosphere in your home.
