Do You Have to Be the Best-Ever Parent?
Do You Have To Be The Best-Ever Parent?
Do you get the feeling that parenting has become "professional" in today’s society? Hoards of experts tout books, TV shows, and classes to help parents raise a genius, a prodigy, a track star. The result is, parenting has become more pressure-filled than ever, and parents feel compelled to be the best parent they could possibly be! But is it possible that a lot of this is overkill – and that just being “good enough” is actually … good enough?
Join Dr Winnie King for an episode of Keeping Kids Healthy that will help you breathe a little easier about the whole parenting experience. You'll meet lots of parents who are worried that they're not doing the best job they can do, and we'll introduce you to a parenting expert who says that may not be a problem! Listen as she describes the real basics of good parenting, and raises some big questions about the compulsion to do ever more for your child.
Guests:
Jordan Miller, Age 3
Asher Clarke, Mother of Jordan
Carlos Miller, Father of Jordan
Kristen Roy Hansen
Istar Schwager, PhD - Child Psychologist; Founder and President of Creative Parents, Inc.; Advisor to Sesame Street Parents; Published In:
Working Mother, Parents, Parenting, Good Housekeeping; Former Associate Director of Research for Sesame Street series; Designed and conducted parenting workshops for Parents League of NY, West Side JCC and The 92nd Street Y.
Tips:
- When it comes to being a parent, remember that being “good enough” is often good enough! You need to fulfill certain bottom-line requirements – like being loving, communicative, and nurturing – but you don’t need to be perfect! (In fact, you probably can’t be!)
Some things you CAN do:
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Learn a little bit about child development. For example, understand that when your two year old isn’t sharing, it’s because two year olds don’t know how to share, so you shouldn’t expect it to happen, and you shouldn’t punish him for not doing it!
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Read to your child, or make sure that someone else (like a child care provider) is doing it.
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A child needs a lot of interaction and stimulation, but it doesn’t all have to come from mom and or dad. Daycare, babysitters, grandparents and friends can all help your child grow.
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Think about what kind of a parent you want to be – your own goals – not only about what kind of a child you want to have.
How much time & money should you be spending on “enrichment” for your child – classes like music, tumbling, videos, etc?
- Experts say you can spend as much as you’re comfortable with, but be aware that the research does NOT indicate that these classes will lead your child to be a musical or athletic prodigy. Be aware of what your motivation is.
Resources:
Zero To Three
http://www.zerotothree.org/Creative Parents.com
http://www.creativeparents.com/American Academy of Pediatrics
http://www.aap.org/Book:
Perfect Madness: Motherhood In The Age of Anxiety by Judith Warner
