We are under the impression that parenting is all about children. Although a big part of that is true, parenting is also largely about you. Your attitude, your relationship with your partner and your outlook towards life matters a lot too. Here are the all-time top tips of parenting….

1. LOL

Lighten up, says a mother of six and grandmother of three Sarah Peters. Parenting can become stressful and frustrating at times, but the trick to successful parenting is your attitude. If you are going to let yourself get wound-up at every little bend, you will miss the best parts of parenting. Laugh a lot, lighten up and chill and situations will seem so much more simpler and easier to handle.

2. Perfection

Often, we aim at the destination of perfection and forget to enjoy the journey to it. We are so engrossed in creating the perfect children, with the perfect reading habits, perfect education and perfect upbringing that we forget to enjoy the precious moments of parenthood. When you have young preschool age children, enjoy their innocence and curiosity. As they get older, enjoy their outlook towards life and guide them well. If you enjoy parenting perfectly, your children will come out perfectly.

3. Your Mental Health

Celebrate parenthood by treating yourself to a day to yourself regularly. If you can’t manage that, make sure you get a few child-free hours regularly. Your sanity and mental health is very important as it plays a direct role in how you bring your children up. If you are feeling glum or depressed, seek help and take charge of your mental health. Happy parents equate to happy children.

4. Your Marriage

Your relationship with your partner or spouse should not take a back seat just because you have had a child. Nurture your relationship with some time together every week. Look for a reliable baby sitter if you don’t have any other form of help and spend an evening out child-free. This not only gives you the time to connect, but also gives your relationship the chance to grow further.

Happy Parenting!