The Value of Good Parenting Skills

We hear about parenting skills a lot, identifying the traits and teachings that good parents enact, and that well-developed children receive. Parenting is always a unique experience, and there will naturally be situations that are unexpected and difficult to approach, but by categorising and understanding the parts of parenting that make for a child that feels safe, supported and understood, we can better practice methods that fall under these categories.

Here are some parenting skills that you may be aware of, and how they bring value to your child’s development.

Quality time

Setting up quality time doesn’t only strengthen your relationship with your child, but it also shows your child the value of allocating quality time to relationships (romantic, platonic or otherwise). When your child sees the value of spending time together and recognises the effort you have made, they will learn to look for social connection and quality time purely for entertainment and social purposes.

Communication

Lack of communication may frustrate your child, coming from either a lack of involvement in your child’s life or through filtering and censoring certain information. You may avoid conversations that require more explanation, or you may neglect to explain the consequences of a child’s actions, or why they need to perform certain tasks. Without the “why”, your child might not want to perform tasks for any reason other than to keep you content.

Social and relationship skills

Human beings are naturally social, and as relationships are a major part of adulthood and life, developing these skills early on will help them assimilate to new environments better. Things like body language, reading subtext, communicating politely and establishing empathy help build a well-rounded individual.

Responsibility

Children appreciate your respect and trusting them with responsibilities helps build a mutually respectful relationship. While you might need to teach and monitor children during new tasks, providing them with autonomy can help them develop their skills on their own. Without this responsibility, children may grow up with lower self-esteem, or struggle to work on their own.

Life skills

As their brains develop you naturally want to take care of all the duties and chores of adult life, but it’s important not to be overprotective. With chores and education, you can set your child up for adulthood.

Unconditional love

No matter the circumstances, no matter the behaviours, your child needs the assurance that they will not be rejected by their family. You can discuss the impact of your child’s behaviours, but ensure they know that they will always have the safety of the family to go back to.

It’s important to recognise the many factors that can contribute to a child’s development, and provide a supportive, sensitive environment at home. Circumstances can sometimes be out of your control, but a strong bond between parent and child allows for children to develop skills in a healthy manner.

If you are looking for support in parenting, please reach out to Anglicare Victoria on 1800 809 722