Being a positive parent

Parenting doesn’t necessarily get any easier as time goes on. But there is good news. The longer you’re a parent, the more experience and perspective you have.

As a more experienced parent, you’ll be able to say, ‘It might be hard today, but tomorrow – or next week or next month – things will be different’. You know that the bad times won’t last forever, and the good times will come again. This can make it easier to stay positive and face any challenges.

Here are some more ideas on being a positive parent in the long term.

Focus on the positives
One of the best ways to keep a positive perspective on parenting is to remind yourself of what your children bring to your life:

• unconditional love and admiration just for being you
• hero worship – your children are probably the only people who think you’re the strongest, wisest and bravest person in the world
• the chance to be a child again through sharing in the magic and wonder of your children’s play and learning
• the chance to experience an amazing range and intensity of emotions, strengths and skills
• the chance to reflect on your own values, attitudes and assumptions about the world
• the chance to take time out from being a grown-up.