Parents are often expected to approach their role with rigid expectations and ideas about how parenting ‘should’ be. These ideas and expectations are being passed down by generations, making them seem obvious and entirely acceptable. While they were followed religiously back in time because of their effectiveness, the present scenario demands a change in the entire approach.
It has been seen that while it is normal for parents to envision an idealized version of parenthood, where kids grow into well-behaved individuals and the everyday routine continues stress-free, the reality of raising kids rarely aligns with these preconceptions. We at Delhi Public School Sushant Lok, one of the top CBSE schools in Gurgaon, believe parenting is a constantly evolving journey filled with unexpected challenges and a fair share of joy and growth opportunities for both kids and parents. In this journey, one of the best gifts that you, as parents, can bestow upon yourselves, is the willingness to change your perspective.
Once you shift from a rigid to an adaptable mindset, you’ll open yourselves to newer insights, have a greater capacity to navigate unexpected challenges, and foster deeper connections with your kids and those around them. If you’re wondering whether putting in the effort to change your perspective is worth the time and hard work, the following three points will solve your doubts.
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Being Open to Learning from Children
It’s easy for parents to fall into the trap of believing they are their children’s teachers. While it is true in certain ways, we at Delhi Public School Sushant Lok believe that children, too, can become their parent’s teachers. We have seen that when parents open to a perspective shift, they find it easier to understand that kids also have profound wisdom to share with them. Since all kids have an innate curiosity, authenticity, and creativity, these traits can be best learned from them.
However, for letting kids to share their wisdom freely, parents must approach them with a beginner’s mindset – a mind dictated by openness and an undying willingness to learn. Let’s understand it with some examples. If you closely observe your kids, you can learn the art of being fully present in the moment from them. Parents with teenage kids can be exposed to a new worldview, challenging their pre-existing assumptions and broadening their perspective. When parents willingly become students along with their kids, they unlock a wellspring of insights that can truly transform their approach to parenting.
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Choosing Flexible Responses to Unexpected Situations
Parenting can never be a linear path because no one knows what the journey brings next. It makes the ability to ‘adapt to the unexpected’ most crucial for every parent. When parents choose not to cling to a rigid mindset, they can easily face challenges with more composure and wisdom. We at Delhi Public School Sushant Lok encourage all parents not to get stuck in a cycle of frustration or panic but rather tap into their creativity and problem-solving abilities to explore solutions that serve the family’s best interest.
For example, if your kid returns from the playground in tears, sharing signs that they might have been bullied, don’t act out of impulse and try to fix things by confronting the bullies and demanding retribution. Approach this problem with curiosity and compassion so your kids model your behavior and learn to become resilient problem-solvers who can resolve any crisis with a strong solution-oriented mindset.
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Learning to Letting Go of Control
Most parents believe that if they anticipate every possible scenario and plan accordingly, they can effortlessly maintain order and predictability throughout their parenting journey. This illusion of control causes more harm than good. Instead, embracing an adaptable mindset can help parents release their desire for total control, fostering a collaborative relationship with kids.
This doesn’t mean abandoning all previously set structures and boundaries but creating a more balanced path between guiding kids and letting them explore and grow. In this regard, we at Delhi Public School Sushant Lok, ranked among the top schools in Gurgaon, have a firm belief that when parents loosen their grip on their age-old parenting approach, they create a healthy space for nurturing their kid’s unique personalities, interests, and developmental needs. This simple yet profound perspective shift is liberating for both parents and kids. So, do give it a thought!
Conclusion
Everyone wants to become the best parent for their children, but their clinginess to preconceived notions often gets in the way. If you’re trying to align your parenting values and approach with the present societal needs, you must open yourself to learning valuable lessons from your kids and adopt a flexible mindset. Eventually, changing the perspective is more about embracing the messy, beautiful, and ever-evolving nature of parenting, not about perfection or idealization. When you, as parents, change your perspective, you pave the way for nurturing authentic connections and collaborative problem-solving, ultimately enriching your parenting experience for years to come.