Being a parent is probably one of the biggest and most rewarding roles you’ll be able to enjoy in life. You’ll watch your baby begin to walk, you’ll hear his/her first words and continue to watch them as they pass through life’s many milestones! However, despite all of these proud moments, parenting can also come with its fair share of challenges. After all, parents are expected to help their children develop life skills, social skills and appropriate behaviors, all while taking the unique personality of each child into consideration.
At Rice Psychology Group, we understand that sometimes your role as a parent can be overwhelming for a variety of reasons. If you’re having trouble with your child, your parental role or if you’re simply overwhelmed and in need of some guidance, know that our Tampa psychologists are here to help.
A Good Parent
A pregnancy in the life of two parents is often followed by a bombardment of suggestions and advice about the best way to raise a child. Your pediatrician will give you every bit of information you’ll need to ensure that your child’s safety and well-being is at the forefront. Your friends and family will more than likely provide their opinions on what’s best for your baby and the media will offer everything in between. At times, all of these different voices will be conflicting and will only serve to confuse you. But what’s the key to being a good parent?
According to many experts in the field of child psychology and development, there is no “best” way to raise a child. In fact, different approaches to parenting can allow parents to figure out what works best for their family. While it may be difficult to determine what makes a good parent due to the varying opinions on the matter, most experts will agree that there are certain things parents are responsible for. According to the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, these include:
- A child’s safety
- Listening to your child
- Spending time with your child
- Making sure affection, order and consistency are present
- Establishing and implementing limits for children
- Monitoring the child’s friendships
- Seeking assistance in case of medical or behavioral issues
Parenting is Inherently Challenging
While it’s no secret that parenting is challenging, it’s important that parents truly understand what this means. Caring for your child will take up a significant part of your time, especially if he/she is a child or infant. If one of the two parents stays home to care for the child, he/she may feel overworked and overwhelmed, which can potentially cause resentment towards the other parent. Additionally, if the child experiences some kind of physical, behavioral or mental issue, it can make parenting even more difficult.
These challenges can put a huge strain on your entire family’s structure and well-being, which is why it’s very important that you understand them and try your best to talk about them. According to researchers, when parents don’t work together to communicate effectively or correctly, it can be difficult for their child to understand what is expected of them. This, in turn, can cause a child to misbehave and further worsen the situation.
The Approach You Need
Therapy can be an effective tool to use when dealing with specific issues, but it may not be the best path to take when you want to voice your concerns as a parent. The parent consultation services at Rice Psychology Group are the perfect way to help you find a better approach when faced with the common obstacles in parenting life.
Like most of our services, our parenting consultations are collaborative in nature and designed to help you discover new techniques to bring peace into your home and increase your confidence as a parent. We know being a parent may be challenging, but this doesn’t mean you should keep your concerns to yourself. Give our psychologists in Tampa a call today to learn more about what Rice Psychology Group has to offer.