Tips For Being a Better Mom

Being a mother is one of the most fulfilling things a woman can achieve in life. However, while utterly wonderful, it doesn’t come without its challenges. If you want to provide your kid with a happy and healthy childhood, here are a few tips that will make you a better mom to your lovely child and make motherhood a bit easier: 

Set an example

Children are like sponges who soak up all the information they see and hear throughout the day, especially from their parents. So if you want your kids to carry great habits, you need to practice what you preach and show them what good habits look like. Also, watch how you respond to different situations because that is how your kids will react to their problems in the future. It’s proven that kids who have parents with anger issues exhibit similar characteristics so surround your kids with positive behaviors so they can copy these. 

Focus on values, not rules

While it’s important to be a good friend to your kids, it’s more important to set proper boundaries. When creating boundaries and rules, the best thing you can do is explain to the kids why we have rules in the first place instead of simply policing the household. If you choose the latter path, your kids will try to find many ways to avoid your rules and find loopholes. Ditch the “My house, my rules” school of thought and try to teach kids some of the important values and principles you live your life by. 

Praise positive actions

We are often only focused on negative behaviors and punishment that we forget all about positive behaviors and rewards. If you just focus on the bad, you will ruin your relationship with your kids. To shift the attention from the negative, make a conscious effort to tell your kids about all the things you appreciate about them. Modern books for moms teach us that every time kids do something right, praise the behavior and it will become a habit much faster. 

Don’t avoid heavy subjects

Parents try to protect their kids from grown-up subjects as long as possible, but that’s not the right move. Avoiding heavy subjects, mostly money and sex, will demonize these things and create unnecessary fear or overly obvious attraction towards forbidden fruit. Experts say that you should start talking to your kids about these subjects much earlier than you would think—as early as age 4 or 5. If you start at 14 or 15, kids will be too embarrassed to listen and ask questions, while a younger child will be more open to these healthy discussions. Talking about these subjects is not easy, so if you need help, you can consult with other parents on your favorite motherhood app and seek advice. You’ll get first-hand tips from other moms who went through the same thing and gain ideas on how to approach important life talks. 

Encourage creativity

One of the best things you can do for your kid is let them practice and grow their imagination through art. Coloring, drawing, painting, singing and dancing are all great ways for kids to express their thoughts and emotions. The results should never be judged harshly, only praised and encouraged. And make sure to show genuine interest in their efforts by saying “wow, this is great. Can you tell me more about it?” This is a much better approach than a generic compliment, and it will help your kid practice expressing emotions and communicating. 

Take good care of yourself

If you don’t take good care of yourself, you can’t expect to take good care of someone else. Mothers always put their kids and their jobs first, but in the end, if you burn out or get sick, everyone will suffer. Sometimes, you need a break from your practical career and your kids to have that precious “you” time, and in the long run, benefits for your family will be tremendous. A good mother is a good person to herself, not just the others. 

So take these tips and apply them to your specific situation. If you practice these good-mom habits, you, your kids and your entire family will benefit big time.