Being a good parent is an art and an often difficult job. Parents are expected to possess different skills or qualities for their children to be healthy and happy.
Good parenting traits help to ensure that parents are able to care for their child, mentally, physically, and emotionally.
We know that when it comes to parenting, there are no perfect parents. We all make mistakes and we don’t know everything about parenting. Some traits can be viewed as more desirable than others, though.
What are the 5 Qualities an Ideal Parent Should Possess?
These are the five qualities that an ideal parent is expected to possess.
Self-control
A good parent should be able to control their impulses and act in accordance with what is best for their child at all times.
A new study found that self-control is a good parenting strategy for parents.
The study found that a parent’s self-control has a positive effect on their children’s executive function. Executive function is the set of mental skills needed to plan, organize, and manage oneself as well as one’s time and environment.
It is very difficult to be a more self-controlled parent because it takes an incredible amount of patience and perseverance. But, with some hard work and dedication one can become a more self-controlled parent.
We should not think of self-control as a trait that we either have or don’t. Instead, we should take the time to think about how we can improve our self-control and make it more flexible.
Some strategies to be a more self-controlled parent:
- set clear rules and boundaries for the child
- communicate with your children about your expectations
- provide clear consequences for not following the rules
- use positive reinforcement when a child does something good
An excellent resource to help you have more self-control is the book Boundaries: When to Say Yes, How to Say No To Take Control of Your Life.
Boundaries With Kids is also an excellent book.
Both Boundaries and Boundaries with Kids teach you how to establish and communicate your personal boundaries from a Christian perspective.
Parenting With Love and Logic is another one of my favorite parenting books. This book teaches you how to use natural consequences so you’re no longer yelling or being a “mean parent.”
Responsibility
Responsibility is a key quality for any type of job, but it’s even more important for parents because they should always put the needs of their children first before anything else – even themselves.
Parental responsibility is the duty of parents to care for their children. It is about taking responsibility for caring for them physically, emotionally and financially.
This type of responsibility includes making decisions about where to live, how they should be educated, what they should do or not do, what they should eat or not eat, etc.
Parental responsibilities are not limited to these examples; it can be anything that a parent feels is necessary for the well-being of their child.
Parents should be teaching their child about life, the world, and the people who inhabit it. It’s a parent’s job to raise responsible children.
When parents are open-minded and teach their children to be responsible people and treat others with respect, it enables children to have a wider perspective on everyday issues without being biased by their own personal point of view.
Related Reading:
- Characteristics of responsible parenthood: How To Raise A Responsible Child
- Characteristics of a Good Child
- Characteristics of a happy child: How To Raise Successful Children
Patience
A lot can happen in a day and having patience will help your child cope with any tough situation they might encounter later on in life.
Good parenting requires time, which can be hard to find but is very valuable for both parties involved.
By being patient, present, and giving your children time, you will be providing support and care for your child.
If you’re struggling with patience (or if you find yourself so stressed out and exhausted that patience seems like a thing of the past), check out How to be a More Patient Mom.
Nurturing
Nurturing has become a buzzword in parenting circles. Urban Dictionary defines nurturing as “to care for and foster the growth of something.” Nurturing is also a term that defines an educational philosophy that is supposed to promote students’ social, emotional, and intellectual development.
But it’s important to be loving and nurturing as a parent because you will teach your children empathy, which will benefit them in almost every aspect of life.
Consistent
As well as being nurturing and loving, parents are expected to be consistent, which teaches the child that life is not always fair but they should accept it with dignity.
Challenging children teaches them how to solve problems creatively, cooperatively and independently.
Related Reading:
How to be an Amazing Parent When You’re Struggling as a Mom
One of the most important things to have when you are struggling with being a good parent is the ability to stay calm in intense situations. This is often one of the worst parenting skills that parents can have because it is so hard.
Staying calm in intense situations will help your child gain self-control and self-confidence by knowing that they can depend on you when they are in need.
It will also allow your child to learn how to problem solve, which can be very beneficial when they are grown up.
The easiest way to stay calm is to arm yourself with simple, effective parenting techniques.
One of my favorite parenting resources is the Parenting Manual 101 course, which was created by a former teacher and mom of four.
In the Parenting Manual 101, you’ll learn techniques to manage your child’s anger, teach them responsibility, and get them to help out around the house.
What Makes Someone a Good Parent?
Being a parent is hard work, and it requires constant improvement.
Just when you feel like you’ve mastered your newborn’s feeding schedule, your toddler turns into a diva or your preschooler stops helping around the house.
Make sure you check out these helpful resources if you’re struggling with any aspect of parenting: