Parenting involves nurturing your children, providing them with the best learning opportunities, ensuring a safe environment, and much, much more.

Here are 25 suggested parenting tips for optimal parenting and fresh starts, formatted in the form of a handy point-form reference list. You may already be aware of (and be acting upon) many of these points—whereas others might strike fresh perspectives.

I hope this list stimulates thought, inspiring parents to share their strengths—and ultimately empowering children to build upon theirs, too.

25 Parenting Tips

1. Recognize what’s central to your child’s well-being. Stay attuned to their interests; abilities; learning preferences; academic, social, and emotional capacities; health; and creativity. Be available.
2. Build resilience. Find and actualize your inner assets. Reveal these, and convey why you’re proud of them. What can kids learn from you?
3. Embrace change. It’s inevitable, across all aspects of life, so it makes sense to try to accept and roll with transitions, Time passes, and nothing really stays the same.
4. Show gratitude. I invite you to check out this article: An Attitude of Gratitude.
5. Get the help you need when you need it. Support, guidance, and collaboration can be beneficial.
6. Be tenacious. Show resolve and determination. I’ve written elsewhere about being proactive—to be willing to stretch boundaries, to be adventuresome, to try new techniques, to welcome tenacity.” Here’s a link: Tenacity.
7. Let nature be both a calming and energizing influence. Nature embodies possibilities for growth! There are many advantages, and there’s so much to learn! For example, see this article: What Strengths Can Dandelions Teach Children?
8. Find your means of safety and control. Everyone has their own concerns, ways of functioning, and family dynamic. Be aware of yours, and also how to be flexibly responsive as circumstances ebb and flow.
9. Appreciate the importance of reflection. Step back, sideways, and forward as the world unfolds, but let thought inform action.
10. Pace yourself. Take the time you require. See the ideas in this article on Flexible Pacing.
11. Learn as you go. Seek meaning and understandings, forge paths, and build upon experiences to help you evolve. Share ideas.
12. Prioritize what matters. For example, family, learning, security, creativity, happiness. People prioritize differently.
13. Be creative. Creative expression is a choice—and an important one! Creativity is a game-changer for enriching lives, for problem-solving, and for amplifying confidence, connections, and happiness. Encourage kids to maximize creativity. See Ignite Your Ideas: Creativity for Kids.
14. Be responsible. Parents have endless obligations, and issues and challenges to confront. Responsibility is a 24/7 reality. Do not shirk it. You are the adult in the room.
15. Channel optimism. Celebrate the golden moments, and the silver linings. Hope is a strong motivator. Have a look at this interview with psychologist and author Dr. Matt Zakreski: Hope.
16. Find the joy—including laughter, hugs, music, art, physical activity, and whatever means of pleasure you can co-create with—and for—your family!
17. Be openminded and resourceful. Ask questions and listen to answers. Gather information that will enable you to be supportive, to troubleshoot and deal with problems that arise, and to advocate on behalf of your child as needed. Teach them how to be openminded, resourceful, and to self- advocate, too.
18. Be effortful—that is, willing to work hard. For more on the merits of effort, see this article: Next-Levelling: Going Beyond the Here-and-Now.
19. Develop networks with others. Connections can be powerful catalysts for learning and growth. Fortify relationships—with family members, neighbors, community leaders, friends, teachers, supporters, and so on, in different contexts.
20. Find time for life balance. This includes reading, relaxing, playing, and practicing mindfulness. Don’t compromise your own well-being—that is, self-care, self-awareness, self-confidence, self-discovery. Get in tune with yourself, and make this a priority. Family downtime matters, too. (For more on this, see the article Children’s Downtime: Opportunities for Creativity, Engagement, and Self-Discovery.)
21. Maintain strong values. Embody and convey the importance of attributes such as integrity, empathy, respect for others, kindness, honesty, and forgiveness. A related article to peruse: Kindling Kindness in Children.
22. Have a sense of purpose. This will help you to set reasonable goals, take sensible risks, and make informed decisions and smart choices.
23. Use and develop your skill sets. Stoke your curiosity, and extend your enthusiasms. Be a life-long learner! Demonstrate that learning matters, and that worthwhile experiences and explorations are always possible, morning, noon, and night.
24. Honor your feelings—and your child’s. This includes frustration, sadness, anger, happiness, and disappointment. Emotions fluctuate; everyone has good days, and also days that are more difficult to navigate. Here’s an article on Children’s Emotional Well-Being—including eight practical tips for parents.
25. Have faith in yourself! Let your knowledge, accomplishments, experiences, and flexibility be cornerstones for what lies ahead for you and your family.

Hopefully, as time marches on, the best is yet to come!

Author’s Note:
In the course of my work (including books, articles, and presentations), I’ve expanded upon these points—and I will continue to do so. Please feel free to
contact me via my website below if you would like me to focus on any matters in particular. I welcome your input and feedback.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Joanne Foster, Ed.D. is a multiple award-winning author of several books, including Bust Your BUTS, and her most recent, Ignite Your Ideas: Creativity for Kids. To find out about Dr. Foster’s publications, presentations, and newsletter, and for resources on supporting children’s learning and well-being, go to https://joannefoster.ca

Cover Image by Photo by Katrin Bolovtsova