Parenting is a challenging activity, even for the good parents. Most of the challenges toraise up children are common to the dedicated parents and also to those who are not. For instance, many parents are not aware of how to deal with different personalities of their children as they grow up. This is more evident as the children approach their adolescent stage. Some of the characteristics that are hard for the parents to deal with include the children being too easily influenced, hypersensitive, defiant of disorganized. Most of the parents complain that it is very hard for them to change these personality factors in their children, and even harder to find a specific coping strategy.
As the children grow up, and especially, in the context of older children in their teenage, parents are also challenged when it comes to making decisions that will affect their children. For instance, ideas related to driving, entering a new school, dating, and less parental oversight are often met with different reactions from the children, making it difficult for the parents to deal with them.
Good parents are not only hardworking in raising disciplined children, but also they work hard to provide for their children. Basically, being a good parent does not mean that you are rich. As a result, most of the parents have a hectic schedule that leave them with less family time. Time is normally affected either by the work schedule or because of their children and hence the parents do not spend enough time with their children.
Another common challenge evident to good families is in case there is a child or any other member who is sick. For instance, a parent coming from a family with a child suffering from an incurable disease points out that one of the hardest thing in parenting is to watch and care for the sickly child. It will not only consume family resources such as money and time, but it also affects their psychological growth. The challenge increases as the parent watch their child grow, only, for the child’s life expectancy to be reduced.
Dealing with the challenges
There are several models that have been created with an aim of assisting the parents to overcome the main challenges experienced as their children grow up. The models may be situation specific and will work well in some situations and not in others. Some of these approaches include:
The Relationship Model that is often considered by the parents who perceive their relationship with their children as a resource when they are dealing or mitigating the challenges. One of the best practices is creating an environment of openness within the family where the child and the parents will be in apposition to discuss any matter. The approach is very relevant to the families with older children and helps the parents to point out various issues that their children want and also advise them accordingly. Most of the parents who had lacked control over the minutiae of their children’s lives have commended the approach.
Another approach is to Adopt the Personal Growth Model. In this approach, the parents need to identify themselves as objects of change. That is, the parents should start to view the challenges facing their children as an issue of their personal growth and development, rather than working hard to alter their child. The parents need to learn how to “pick battles” with the children and how to “relax” as well.
Leadership model is also another widely recommended approach. Basically, this will involve the parent acting as a leader and their children as followers. There are several leadership theories and models that has already been established. However, very few can work in a family setting.
The Dear in the Headlights Model goes beyond a parent noticing that there is challenge in the family to knowing whether the challenge is beyond your control as a parent and whether you require external assistance or not. Despite the fact that a number of parents can articulate challenges likely to face their families in some years to come, not many parents are able to identify a specific coping strategy for some of these challenges. The approach is often used by the parents who have to deal with internal characteristics of their children instead of situational factors.
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About the Author
I am Nikki Merrill and as far as I am concerned, challenges make me perfect. As a writer, I have faced plenty of challenges which made me as a flourishing writer at the moment. In the early days of my professional career as a writer, I looked forward to write articles for blogs and for some online magazines. Later on I gave importance to write academic assignments as well. Besides writing for blogs, online magazines and students in academic setting, I am working for one of the top essay writing services in the writing industry. My experience, challenges that I faced during my initial life as a writer and my enthusiasm guided me to come up with the article “Challenges of Good Parenting and How to Overcome It".
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