How Positive Parenting Is Good For Your Child

Parents play an integral role in shaping their child’s future and certain mistakes can lead to negative impact on personality which could continue to trouble them in adulthood. Positive parenting is a gentler way of bringing up your child where you understand their emotional needs, reward and encourage positive behaviours while setting clear boundaries. Here are 5 ways positive parenting can be good for your child.

The notion of positive parenting is complex and multifaceted, and it would be challenging to define it in a few words. However, The Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe (2006) has defined positive parenting as a ‘nurturing, empowering, nonviolent style of parenting that provides recognition and guidance, to enable the full development of the child’. There is plenty of research supporting the short and long-term effects of positive parenting on the child’s life.

Positive parenting brings positive discipline:

It is unfortunate that the word discipline has assumed a negative connotation in parenting circles owing to the direct correlation to ‘punishment’, while in reality, these two words are not synonymous. In fact, discipline is a very positive and essential part of modern parenting. Positive parenting naturally replaces the yelling and hitting with these 3Fs of positive discipline – friendly, fair and firm.
Friendly discipline is to ‘catch them doing good and praise appropriate behaviour. This is a great way to avoid instances of unacceptable behaviour in future. Fairness in discipline comes with set guidelines about the consequences of inappropriate behaviour. Positive parenting has clearly laid out rules for the family which are applicable not only to children but to adults as well. It is necessary to be clear on the things that are ‘non-negotiables’ within the family, and more importantly to stay firm on them, no matter what happens.

Positive parenting caters to every age:

The need for involved parenting is well established for younger children but it is also important to remember one key fact: teens still need and want their parents’ support and guidance— even if it doesn’t seem like it. And that is where positive parenting comes as a highly effective tool. The presence of nurturing adults who truly listen has been reported by many longitudinal studies among emotionally resilient children.

Positive parenting makes children responsible:

Positive parenting brings important qualities of the “love and logic method” to families. Love provides empowerment and responsibility to preteens and teenagers whereas logic allows them to live with an understanding of the natural consequences of their mistakes.

Positive parenting results in realising the full potential of children:

Evidence-based positive parenting strategies are both abundant and accessible. Because positive parenting experts have addressed almost every possible aspect of modern parenting, there is no dearth of available resources. And when parents have authentic resources at hand, they are more likely to be “non-judgmental” in their parenting. The only aim left in positive parenting is to enable a child to reach his/her maximum potential, instead of getting into the zone of “my child versus your child”, parents with positive parenting end up promoting children’s self-esteem, self-efficacy, strong decision-making skills, and belief in themselves.

Also Read: Tips To Build Respectful Connections Between Parents And Children