Essential Parenting Tips from 18 Years of Holistic Parenting-Part 2


Part 2 (view Part 1 to get the first 20 Tips)

21.  Get to Know Your Children Fully

Children have unique needs, temperaments, behavior patterns, talents and learning styles. If you can identify and understand your child’s inborn nature, you can develop a unique approach to parenting that’s best for your individual child.

22.  Reduce or Eliminate Processed Foods

If you don’t buy it, it’s out of sight and out of mind – at least at home. You can make whole foods very appealing with a little creativity. Read the shocking truth about how food is produced.

23.  Include Your Children in Food Shopping and Meal Preparation

This gives them the power of choice within healthy parameters. Here are some ideas on how to get your kids to eat healthy foods.

24.  Avoid Giving Your Children a Lot of Commercial Fruit Juice

Fruit juice is not a whole food and adds little nutritional value. Juicing removes the fiber, and unless the juice is freshly squeezed and consumed immediately, most of the nutrients are lost. Commercial canned, bottled, or boxed juices are mostly just fruit sugar (even if you buy unsweetened) and contain pesticides if not organic. See Are Fruit Juices Healthy Drinks for Kids?

25.  Regarding Parenting Styles: Do What Works for You and Your Children

There is no one right way to parent, and there are many parenting paths and choices within a holistic lifestyle. Many holistic parents are practicing “attachment parenting”. At the heart of attachment parenting is the principle of nurturing a strong bond of connection between you and your children.  There are many ways to create and maintain this bond and treat your children with respect, kindness and dignity. Find what works best for you and your family, and let go of placing rigid demands on yourself.  Go back to the #1 parenting tip – take care of yourself so you have enough energy and emotional stability to fully bond with and nurture your children!

26.  Allow your Children to Trust their Feelings and Preferences.

This is a follow-up to #3 about following your own intuition. Instead of raising your children to become what society deems successful and acceptable, you may want to consider nurturing, assisting, and allowing your children to follow their heart and tap into their own inner voice. Allow them to express their creativity and create their own path and dreams. Try to give up control and attachment to how you think your children should be, and allow them to be who they are by encouraging them to trust their natural inclinations and feelings.

27.  Consider Internet Articles as you would any other Parenting Advice.

Know how to research, scrutinize and discern what’s right for you and your child. Just because someone writes an article or a blog post and it sounds like they know what they’re talking about, don’t just accept it as fact. Check into it further.

28.  Understand how Scientific Research is Done and the Underlying Factors Involved in the Conclusions.

Most people just take the carefully worded conclusions drawn from a study as fact. Many times these are just sound bites created by the media to influence your opinion. But if you actually read the study, you might find that it’s not so cut and dry. Know how to decipher studies and discern between valid conclusive research and inconclusive or faulty studies. It’s also important to know who funded the research so you can detect any biases.

29.  Manage your Time Wisely so you can Fully Immerse Yourself in your Child’s World.

Your child knows when you are multi-tasking or have your mind on other things. When you make the time to fully be with your child, give him or her your full undivided attention and awareness. This teaches them to value themselves and others.

30.  Don’t Take it Personally.

Your children are going to act out, have tantrums, challenge your authority, and be disrespectful. It’s not about you, it’s about them and their needs. If you take it personally, you’ll be tapped into your own emotional baggage and won’t be able to respond in an effective way. When you are triggered, your children will react to your emotional stuff!

31.  If your Child is Having a Melt-Down in a Public Place, Disregard Everyone Else Around You.

This is between you and your child and no one else’s business. The biggest mistake that parents make (I did too) is worrying about all the eyes on us when our child is acting out. As moms we’re so concerned about how others are viewing or judging us. As if we’re responsible for our children’s unpredictable emotions. If we’re thinking about what others think we “should” do in this situation, we are missing what our child really needs and what the situation calls for. Ignoring what others think will alleviate much of the stress, and you’ll be able to come from your heart while dealing with your child’s needs.

32.  Understand that any Attempts to Control your Children are Pretty Much Useless. 

Trust me – it will backfire. Instead build a relationship of connection and respect.

33.  Let go of What Anyone Else Thinks.

Sometimes people have good insights and there can be a lot you can learn from others, but you know your child better than anyone else. When your children are grown and you look back on what you did early on as a parent, what is more important – how your children are doing or what your mother-in-law or your Aunt Margaret think of you? You’ll have to live with the consequences of your decisions, and your well-meaning peanut gallery will have probably forgotten all about it by then. Thank people for their opinions and advice, but only use what’s right for you.

34.  Hold, Carry, Massage, Rock, and Cuddle your Baby Continually.

This creates a bond and connection with your child, which is vital to emotional and physical health. Learn to massage your baby – it’s great for both of you.

35.  Actively Listen to Your Child.

They need to know they are heard and respected.

36.  When you Feel that you Messed Up, Apologize to your Children.

Sometimes we act out our stress on our children. If you can apologize and take responsibility for your own emotions, your children will feel respected. They will also learn that as humans we all mess up and there are healthy ways to interact with others.

37.  Create More Play Time with Your Children.

But follow their lead in the play activities.

38.  Let your Children Run, Jump, Leap, and Fully Express their Joy.

They need to be energetic and expressive.

39.  Allow your Children to Make Mistakes.

This helps them to learn about life and about themselves.

40.  Tell your Children you Love Them – Often

Treat them with the same or greater respect than you would your best friend. When you interact with them, model the way you would like them to interact with others.

2 Comments

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