Millennials parents are constantly battling the struggle to have a work-life balance, and parenting simply adds another responsibility. It is an evitable part of being in a child’s life, but it comes with its set of benefits and setbacks.
Being a part of the millennial squad yourself, you might be tempted to have some free time full of entertainment. However, at the back of the mind, you know that your kids are looking up to you and also have more access to screen-time than they should.
This is just one example of how a millennial parent battle every day to have their kind of free time, work as much as they must, and be the best parents to their kids. We’re here to give you some of the bad habits that you have to reconsider and prevent from doing. You might relate to them but unconsciously don’t realize the harm it does to your kids.
Habits millennial parents should stop repeating
Explore the kind of habits you might unconsciously have or not realize how it leaves a bad impact on kids:
1. Stop talking and start doing
Parents of this era are way lenient and friendly compared to how we knew our parents to be. On one end, kids find a friend in their mom/dad, but they also become more opinionated then they should. (https://whitejasmine.com/)
Gone are those days when kids would obey each and everything you say. Now, kids only follow the things they see and also examine if they should or shouldn’t do it too.
If you expect your child to start meditating from a young age, they will first expect you to do it. You can’t ask them to do something you don’t do it yourself. They will only take you seriously when you practice what you preach.
2. Quit entrusting their environment
If you’ve heard your mom tell you to not talk to strangers, to be back home before sunset, to not make friends outside of school, you’re probably an 80s or 90s kid!
Nowadays, if you tell your kids what your mom told you, they wouldn’t listen. Kids have way more access to socializing and demand the freedom that we couldn’t imagine having.
If you continuously try to entrust their environment, they will hide things and ultimately do what they think is right. This sort of behavior can lead them into more danger as you wouldn’t know what he’s up to.
Let your kids get a share of freedom that they deserve and that you can allow them to have. Keep a watch on them so that you let them meet new people but you know they’re safe as well.
3. Stop comparing
One of the worst things you can do to your child is comparing them with another child. Every child has their own set of qualities and cannot think or do as another kid of their age can do.
It can get bitter if you make such a comparison with their younger or older sibling. It not only makes them feel less loved but also have possibilities to grow hatred for one another.
If you’re unhappy with how your child is doing at school or play, you have to help them get better. Trying to develop their skills has got nothing to do with another kid who’s already on top. You have to think about how your child improves and tell them how they are their own competition.
4. Stop being connected all the time
If you need ‘me time’ that keeps you secluded and do the things you love, your kids need it as much as you do. Maybe the level of pressure you have is way more than the child, but even they need alone time.
When you’re not connected with your kids all the time, you let them explore their capabilities. There can be times when they hurt themselves but they will always remember how their decisions shaped their life.
5. Quit future proofing
If you’ve ever told your kids why they should do something now to have a better future, you’ve surely left them frightened. Kids should not be told to do something in order to get success. It is something that they learn naturally and through their experiences.
Ambition, passion, and hard work aren’t values that you can instill or force. You can always suggest and tell them what you think is best for them. However, imposing your ideas to build their future can leave them confused and dissatisfied. They might end up having an unsuccessful career or take up jobs that don’t make them happy.
6. Quit scaring them about time
Many parents tell their children how much they should value time and get things done within a specified time span. This is definitely the right thing to do as long as you’re not scaring the child.
If you keep telling them that not studying within a given time can get him a bad grade, he will study out of fear but not out of happiness. His education will not add value to him because it comes forcefully.
7. Quit losing temper
Millennials share common feelings of frustration, stress, and anxiety either due to work pressure, responsibilities, relationships and so on. If your kid is an avenue to vent out your anger, you’re probably doing the worst to their childhood.
If your kids perceive you as a monster that can burst out at any moment, they will never share a healthy bond with you. You need a lot of patience to deal with children and help them grow as responsible individuals.
8. Stop doing everything for them
As parents, we tend to go a little overboard and do more than what we should for our kids. It is just our parental instincts that make us feel responsible enough to give our child the best.
It comes organically to millennial parents as they don’t have enough time for their kids and want to make the most of the little that they do. However, we must understand how much we should do for the kids and how much we should allow them to take over.
You should ask your child to pack his bags, fold his clothes, share the household chores, to make them responsible. From an early age, they have a better understanding of how lifestyles are and what you do to make ends meet. They gradually become independent and self-sufficient, which helps shape great personalities.
