How to Parent With Confidence

So now you're a parent. No doubt everyone is giving you advice, whether you want it or not. What parenting choices should you make? Are you doing it right? Take a deep breath and relax, you're going to do fine, These tips will help you parent with confidence (and help you tell the rest of the world to bug off).

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

• Kid(s)
• Trust in yourself
• Great attitude
• Willingness to learn from mistake

1. Connect with your child(ren). Spend time with them. Talk WITH them, not to them. Snuggle your kids. Your child(ren) want to be with you. Whether it's co-sleeping, breastfeeding, attachment parenting, baby wearing, no TV, reading, playing...get connected!
2. Get some perspective. This is your child(ren) and you know best. The relatives, friends, co-workers, strangers giving you unsolicited advice--these people are not your child's parents. They do not know your child as well as you do. They do not have responsibility for your child. You are parents, you know best.
3. Learn from your experiences. Don't be hard on yourself. There is no textbook or instructions that come with raising children. There are lots of resources to help you make informed choices on raising your child(ren), but you make the decisions. Every child is different and you must learn to adapt your parenting choices to each child.
4. Tell them to bug off--nicely, of course. When someone raises an eye or starts giving you unsolicited parenting advice, the phrase you need to know is, "It works for us." That usually shuts someone's rant down quickly. It's a phrase that doesn't have a comeback because it states simply, "I'm not asking you to agree with me. It works for us."
5. Evaluate your parenting choices periodically. Is what you're doing working? Are your children happy, healthy and developing appropriately? Are you happy with your life as a parent? Readjust if necessary (and you will need to, as children grow and get older). Remember, what worked for one age won't work at an older age. Different kids have different personalities, so what works with one kid may need to be slightly readjusted for a sibling to accommodate personalities.
6. Be kind to yourself (and your children). Parenting is a hard gig, but very rewarding. You will gain more confidence as the years go on, which is a good thing, because there's always more to worry about. It doesn't get easier because you'll always worry, but it does get more rewarding because you get to watch these little people mature into happy, intelligent, confident beings. Good job, parents!