Parent Child Relationships

Parent child relationships play an important role in a child's overall development. Working out successful parent child relationships is not easy. Strengthening parent child relationships takes both time and effort. But both of you will enjoy looking back at the benefits of healthy parent child relationships in the later years.

Tips for Developing Successful Parent Child Relationships

• Tell your child every day and as many times as possible that you love him. It is a good idea to do this even when you find that he has scattered his toys all over the place when you return after a tiring day at work.
• If your child comes to talk to you when you are reading a book or watching the television, give your child the priority. Put the book aside or turn off the television and listen attentively to him. Also, you must not interrupt him till he has finished what he has to tell you.
• Allow your child to help you with small chores. This can be carrying a light weight bag from the car into the house after shopping. Sometimes, you can give them the liberty of choosing the dress for you to wear on any particular day.
• Do not always use talk time with your child as a time to discuss problems. Discussing only problems with the child can strain the relationship. Talk about other aspects as well even if they seem less important. This can be as simple as asking what toys he played with.
• If you have more than one child, keep aside “special” time for each child. Take one child to the park at a time and let it be just you and him. On another occasion, you can take the child who was left out earlier.
• Show your child that you value the choice he has made. It does not hurt to allow your child to wear a blue shirt with orange shorts.
• Have a special code word that tells your child about your love for him. Use this often when talking to him. Make sure that only the two of you know what it means. If you think that other family members have found out about it, change the word. This can help your child feel special.
• Maintain a special bedtime routine. Read a favourite book to your child before you hug him and wish him Good Night. If your child has started reading, ask him to read out to you.
• When you are angry with your child for something that he has done, do not talk to him immediately. You are likely to lose your temper at him. This can make things unpleasant. Wait till you have calmed yourself down before talking to your child.
• Take some time daily to spend some floor time playing with your child. And, it certainly can relax you after those long working hours.
• Sometimes, conflicts with your child may strain your relationship with him. When you try to renew the relationship, do not focus on the past conflicts. Start everything afresh.
• Make meal time a family time. Ensure that all members of the family have meals together. Encourage your child to join in by sharing the activities of his day. Remember to put off the TV watching during meal times.
• Be honest in your interactions with the child.
• If your child does something that he is not supposed to do in front of others, do not call him names like “liar”, “stupid” and so on. This will embarrass him and can make him turn hostile.
• Discuss with your child about your community's beliefs and practices, and family ethics.

In summary, the secret of successful parent child relationships lies in successful communication with each other.