Gentle parenting
Parenting styles differ and it is not an easy task to take care of a young child and be responsible of their upbringing to ensure they have a positive place and impact in the society. A lot of research has been done in this area to come up with a possible plan that helps both the parent and the child to have a smooth experience. Gentle parenting is one such widely used technique that mainly focuses on helping the child make choices based on their personal thoughts and beliefs rather than external pressures. This style of parenting emphasizes on developing a bond between the parent and the child based on the child’s willingness and choices instead of the rules set by parents. This helps children become resilient, confident, and happy adults.
Discipline and gentle parenting
It is quite easy to confuse gentle parenting with permissive parenting. Both these schools of thought are not the same. While gentle parenting utilizes the child’s inherent ability to make the right choice, permissive parenting is giving in to the demands of the child irrespective of whether they are right or wrong. Gentle parenting requires parents to convey and hold boundaries even if this makes the child unhappy. Parents ensure not to punish the child, shame, or hit them as a means of discipline. All these external factors end up making the child either hide their intentions or fear the consequences in case they do something unacceptable. However, the requirement is for them to internally realize what is right and wrong, and act accordingly.
Benefits of gentle parenting
Parenting is an emotionally draining to manage. It is also one of the most undermined jobs out there. However, the one thing that makes it all worthwhile is the realization that we can raise strong, kind-hearted individuals who have empathy for the world. Some of the most evident benefits of gentle parenting are mentioned below:
Gentle parenting is found to make parents happier and comparatively less stressed.
It helps improve a child’s self-worth and confidence.
With better emotional regulation in parents, children tend to be able to self-regulate easily
Children are found to be more independent
Children also tend to be more empathetic and social
While the onus of gentle parenting is on the parents and primary caregivers, it would not be successful if the child is not exposed to the same approach in the preschool they go to. Early childhood education that incorporates play-based learning techniques is a good fit to ingrain significant life skills in a child without overwhelming them. Educators in most international kindergartens are trained in and follow a gentle approach while dealing with their students to ensure the young minds see and adopt the right attitude in life.
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