Pictured with my mentor Jeannie Edmunds
I so often have parents approach me and ask how I handle explaining social media to kids and tweens. In this day and age, being a parent gets tougher and tougher because the times are constantly changing. GrasshoppHer just hired a head of sponsorships and Nina is the most fabulous mother and advocate for our company: I so enjoy our conversations about her daughter AND about the company. Here are my main takeaways for parenting in 2023:
Get Tips And Tricks From Others
Of course, the first thing that you can do is get tips and tricks from others. Now, you do not have to do this, and you can ask for advice, but then go in a different direction if it suits you and your child better. You can look up information from a range of sources and then go with the one that you feel speaks to you as a parent more, and don’t let anyone else tell you that you are wrong. Different parents do different things with their kids, and there isn’t necessarily a right or wrong way. If it works for you and your child, then that’s it.
For example, you can look up a sleep training guide for new parents if you are struggling to get your little one to get enough rest. But, you don’t have to do it the way that the guide says if you don’t like the idea of it. There are multiple ways to do pretty much everything, and you will find your groove.
Being Wrong Is Okay Sometimes
Being wrong is okay sometimes. It’s okay to get things wrong, as long as you use it to learn so that you can get it right the next time. This is going to happen a lot when you are a parent, and you just have to persevere and remind yourself that you are doing your best. It’s hard as there are so many things that you have to do, and you have to try to understand and communicate with the baby which is tough on its own. You might think that they want a bottle when they don’t, and that’s okay, don’t force them to take it, just try to work out what else they might want.
Teach Your Kids Making Mistakes Isn’t A Bad Thing
One of the most important lessons in life that you should try to teach your kids is that making mistakes is not a bad thing, as long as you learn from your actions. The best way that you can teach this to them is by not hiding it when you make mistakes. Nobody is perfect, everyone is going to get things wrong sometimes, and it’s okay to show them that you do as well.
As they get older, your kids are going to make more mistakes and you have to let them. This is how you learn, and it’s how they need to learn as well, even though sometimes it will be hard to stand by and watch.
Remember They Are Little People
The last thing that we’re going to say to you is that you need to remember that they are little people. It’s easy to forget that their emotions are just as valid as ours, especially when we are frustrated or irritated but they are entitled to have bad days just like the rest of us. They are entitled to struggle, and to find certain things difficult, and you need to try to be a little more understanding and mindful of this. You need to learn to be patient, even when it’s tough as you try to understand them.
We hope that you have found this article helpful, and now see that parenting is all about learning, so you shouldn’t be afraid to grow with your children. It’s perfectly okay to not know things and to develop yourself as a person when your child is growing up, and you need to allow yourself this grace of not being perfect. We wish you the very best of luck, and hope that you have a wonderful life with your kids.
