How would you describe yourself as a parent?
Are you the tough one, the lenient type? Are you a Helicopter mom, or a Snowplough mom or Authoritarian mom? We have all these definitions that parenting experts have taught over the ages. Most of us are not one, but a mix of many when it comes to raising our children. But have you heard of the Giraffe mom? Let me explain.
We spoke to Dr Gunmeet Bindra, Principal, Dally College, Indore, on raising teens in today’s challenging world, how we need to bond better with them, understand them better, etc. She narrated this story that she shares with her students, and their parents that help them understand how to raise resilient kids.
As a parent, all you want is for your child to be able to stand tall in every situation. We make sure they hit every milestone – can speak and walk at the right time, and be great in academics, but we forget to share life skills that will help them grow.
How do we ensure our children are strong enough and prepared to handle the future? Are we guilty of often bubble-wrapping our children? Listen to this story and you will agree with Dr Bindra on why we need to be tough on our kids to help them handle the world better.
Here’s a reminder. When raising the next-gen remember the following:
📌 Do not over plan, and don’t let them stand on their two feet where they organise things themselves
📌 Ask yourself if you are always telling them what is right or wrong, over – them realising through failure what is wrong.
📌Are you always fighting their battles? If yes, pause and find out how that would help them prepare for a future that might not involve you.
Let’s rethink our approach. Let’s be tough so they can be independent. Like Andre Agassi told Mansi Zaveri in an interview earlier, the toughest job of parenting is to raise kids to not need you in the future. Doesn’t that just hit you super hard?! Let me know your thoughts.