It’s an age-old question that comes up often in our consultations with parents, and it’s not an easy one to answer:
How do we give our children the world, without making them feel entitled to it?
Finding the right balance as a parent will help you to raise a child that will become an independent, confident and capable adult.
And psychologist Linda Blair has offered some great suggestions on how to do it in a recent article.
Here’s a brief rundown of her top tips:
- Give the gift of your love and attention over material possessions.
- Champion the value of earning something over instant gratification.
- Teach your kids to enjoy anticipation all year round, not just for Christmas and Birthdays.
- Instill the importance of constantly trying, even after failures.
- Focus on praising effort as much or more than achievement.
- Set clear rules and guidelines, and stick with them.
- Encourage them to look at the world outside of their own experience of it.
We wholeheartedly agree with Linda’s suggestions; these tactics will nurture your child’s sense of compassion, gratitude, empathy and confidence in their abilities, and develop life skills that will bring them happiness and success in the future.