“Parenting has been oversold. You have been led to believe that you have more of an influence on your child’s personality than you really do.” ~ Gabor Mate

Parental support has been one of the most critical factors in the mental growth of a child. It contributes a lot to their overall self-esteem, success, and ability to socialize with people. 

Many parents are not familiar with the simple techniques of supporting their children and often unintentionally deprive them of it in the long run.

Supporting a child goes way beyond verbal affirmations. It is the actions that count equally and the non-verbal communications, which include gestures and facial expressions. 

Parents need to be their child’s number one supporter, which values the most in their lives.

How to Figure Out If Your Child Needs You?

There are multiple ways for a parent to find out whether or not their child needs them. They have to focus a little more on how the child communicates to them in verbal or nonverbal manner. 

Often, your child may seem too distracted or detached, and this can be a cry for help, so make sure you’re always there for your children. 

It is also vital that they know you’re there for them, so maintain healthy and open communication with them throughout. Remember never to invalidate their feelings based on their reactions. 

Another thing that parents may overlook is there are a few moments where the outbursts of a child show more about how they feel, as people tend to say something in anger which bothers them.

5 Easy Ways to Become Your Child’s Number One Supporter

Mentioned below are some of the simplest yet most important ways to support your child emotionally and platforms like Dadistry help parents support their children in crisis or how to be better parents. 

Let’s have a look at these strategies.

1. Be Your Child’s Rock

Parents need to become their child’s ultimate rock. They should make themselves more trusting and open to their children, so they lean on them for support and care. 

If your child is scared of you, they are highly likely to commit more mistakes and get into more considerable damage by hiding it from you. Be the parents your child rushes to tell things to. 

Most parents ignore this fundamental and crucial point, which is exactly why children mistrust and fear their parents. Be the rock for your child, which protects them and, at the same time, provides them the support they need.

2. Decode the Non-verbal Signs

Children don’t need to express everything verbally for you to be able to understand them. Decode their non-verbal signs by observing their behavior patterns. Check up on them frequently and see how they are dealing with life.

Some non-verbal cues include avoiding eye contact, fidgeting, blank facial expressions, flinching, freezing, etc. Some even pretend to be in an optimistic mood, but not all smiles show the accurate picture, and not all “healthy” or normal routines show their well-being. 

Children often isolate themselves or decline their eating habits when they don’t feel okay. Learn to decode their words and silent actions so you can be there for them without them asking for it.

3. Hear Them Out

Before you decide to lash out on your child for speaking up, hear them out first. Their outbursts may seem rude at first but try to focus on what they are trying to say. Chances are, they are hurt and want an outlet to express themselves. 

Most of the time, people keep things inside them for a long time, and it bursts on the slightest trigger. Most people learn different defense mechanisms, which helps avoid confronting their thoughts and feelings. 

Many children build a mental wall around themselves to avoid facing people and being vulnerable with their emotions. Watch out for these signs. Hearing out about your child is extremely important to get to know them and their life.

4. Motivate Them

Constructive criticism is okay. However, there are moments where all one needs is a word of affirmation from their parent. 

There are plenty of moments where children don’t feel that they’re doing enough or feel demotivated in any way. Would you please do your part in motivating them and being their biggest supporter? 

Even when your child does well, you need to cheer them on. Let them know that they have a parent who is incredibly proud of them. This kind of motivation and support goes a long way in their development and future successes. 

As simple as it sounds, it’s pretty rare for parents to support their children unconditionally, even in things they are not entirely familiar with.

5. Let Them Make Their Own Choices

One thing most parents tend to forget is that they will not always be there for their children. There will always be moments where your child will be all alone, and they will need to protect themselves and make crucial decisions.

What will help them is if they’re able to do that correctly, and for that, they need your motivation and support. Your responsibility is to prepare your child to be a solid and self-sufficient individual who can make their own choices. 

Being over-protective of them will do nothing other than making them highly dependent on you. This sounds harsh, but they will be left with no support once you pass away. 

This is why it is essential to train, prepare, and trust your child enough to make their own decisions. If they fail, they will learn a new lesson, contributing to their mental and emotional growth.

Nothing brings more joy in a child’s life than to see their parents being their number one support. Children who have to motivate and encouraging parents tend to do so much better in academic and professional lives than those with hostile parents. 

This is why it is essential for you to thoroughly equip yourselves with the knowledge of how to be your child’s number one support, and this blog is here to help you with that. 

Comments