24 Daily Moments to Make Your Parenting Successful (PART 1/2)

Feb 13

Being a parent is an incredible journey, a lifelong adventure filled with joy, growth, and wonder. It's also undeniably challenging and unfortunately, lots of the time, we didn’t get a “parenting 101” before we became a parent. We didn’t get a handbook about our babies when they came to our world. We are all fresh hands and didn’t get a chance to practice all the necessary skills to do our job properly.

Parenting is tough, but the rewards are immeasurable. I have a 12-year-old son and an 8-year-old daughter. Looking back over the years, it is a journey with so much excitement, happiness, joy, growth, surprise, achievement, and appreciation, together with the same or even higher amount of frustration, sadness, disappointment, anger, self-doubt, concerns, regrets, and struggles. Along this journey, I learned that it's the small, everyday moments that truly shape our nurturing and inspiring relationships and paint the way that our children are navigating through. Here I am sharing 12 small moments from morning to early afternoon you can do to connect with your children in a meaningful and positive way.

Gently kiss or pat your children to wake them up in the morning. A positive start to their day sets a loving tone right from the beginning.
Inject some fun into the morning routine by competing with your children and see who dress up faster. A little friendly competition can make getting ready less of a chore.
Acknowledge and appreciate the things your children do well, like having their clothes ready the night before. Highlighting positive and important habits reinforces and encourages them to continue.
Hum your favorite song in the morning while cooking, showering, or even in the hallway to spread a relaxing and joyful spirit for your children to start their day. A happy vibe is contagious!
Express gratitude for a fresh new day when opening the curtains. Tell your children that you are grateful for having a job to go to and share your excitement about the day ahead, showing your children a positive outlook.
Do some warmup activities with your children after getting out of the bed. Incorporate a few stretches or push-ups into your morning routine together. It's a fun way to get moving and energize everyone for the day.
Involve your children in simple breakfast preparations, like making toast or pouring milk. It teaches them contribution and responsibility and makes them feel part of the family and process.
Tuck a note secretly into your children’s backpacks with a good quality that you appreciate them and that you love them. A little note with an encouraging message is a sweet surprise they'll discover during the day.
Check confidence by encouraging your children to look at themselves in mirror before leaving home to make sure they are properly dressed, and they are excited, confident, and fully refreshed to take on the day.
Greet your partner warmly first and then kiss your children when get home from work, letting them know that their parents are in love and they are loved. It shows them the importance of your relationship and creates a loving atmosphere.
Teach your children to hand over indoor shoes or put away purses when you and partner come back home from work. It instils a sense of responsibility and teamwork.
Put your phone in silent mode and tell your children that you do it because you really value your time with them. Phone Down, Presence Up. Let your children know they are your priority.

These small moments, woven throughout your day, create a tapestry of love and connection. They are the building blocks of a strong, healthy parent-child relationship. Stay tuned for Part 2, where we'll share more ways to nurture these connections in the afternoon and evening.