A well-balanced child becomes a well-balanced adult who can take on problems head-on and come up with logical solutions while being compassionate. While your child may not be the best player on the team or the smartest kid in the class, you may find they’re a good leader. Whatever your child’s strengths or weaknesses, they can become well-balanced, but it depends on you as a parent or guardian. Here are some tips for raising well-balanced children. 

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1. Prepare for Them

One of the best ways to raise a well-balanced child is to prepare for them before they’re even born. Your ability to make sure they’re cared for no matter what will ensure their safety and security. For example, you can start taking care of your child and the rest of your family by ensuring a healthy pregnancy. Nonprofits like Planned Parenthood provide parents with the knowledge they need to secure their child’s health and safety before it’s even born.

Similarly, you can plan accordingly by making sure your child is taken care of should you ever pass away. Having a life insurance plan before your child is born will guarantee your family is financially taken care of even in the event of your death. While financial care is no substitute for actually being there for support, it can ensure your family won’t endure any hard times due to financial issues.

2. Encourage Positive Self Confidence

Confidence is key to ensuring your child is well-balanced and prepared for the rest of their life. The more confident your child is early on, the more confident they will be as an adult. Have your children begin positive self-talk at a young age by positively thinking about themselves by targeting aspects of their lives such as goals they want to achieve and what they are grateful for.

Reinforcing these positive thoughts can combat negative self-talk that plagues us all, but it will continue to boost confidence throughout their life so they can go out and achieve those goals.

3. Be a Happy Parent

Some days we all wake up stressed and frustrated. On the days you’re in a bad mood, your children will feel it, and you can also impact their mood. Children take cues from their parents to get an understanding of what the day will hold. If you’re happy around your children, they’ll be happy too, which means you’ll need to practice patience and positive thinking.

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Of course, being happy all the time is impossible, and it’s okay to show your children real emotions when you feel them so they can begin to understand that all types of emotions are accepted in your household. While we suggest never screaming out of anger at your children or your partner, you should explain emotions to your children and make it known their feelings are always important.

4. Eat Dinner Together

There’s a reason many families get together at the end of a long day for dinner. Eating meals together gives your children the opportunity to discuss and reflect on their day. Any opportunity you get to encourage your family to stop looking at their phones or the television and have a meal together will help you understand how your child is feeling so you can talk about any issues that are bothering them.

Eating with no interruptions gives you the chance to teach your children important social skills while encouraging family bonding. This is a vital part for all families to practice as it can provide open communication and honesty with every family member. Not to mention, some of the best family memories can be made around the dinner table.

French culture particularly values the practice of commensality, or eating together in a group. Dinner and other meals are commonly associated with the company of others. Not only is eating dinner together beneficial to the social development of your child, it’s also a continuation of a long-standing tradition in French culture.

5. Don’t Overschedule

While your child can handle a lot going on in their day, there’s no reason to overschedule them. Instead of focusing on their success, be aware of when you’re stretching them too thin. Between school, friends, athletics, tutoring, and more, too many activities can make them unable to focus on one thing, which can cause stress.

Stress can come with physical symptoms like stomach aches, headaches, and more. You may also see behavioral changes like anger, neediness, and sleep problems. Consider how you feel when you have too much on your plate and not enough time to finish important tasks. The stress you feel is also something your children will feel if you put too much on their plates.

6. Unplug Yourself

When you’re too absorbed by work, social media, television, and texting, you’re likely not giving your children enough attention. This lack of attention gives your children the impression they come second, third, or even fourth on the list of priorities. When your children are talking to you, make sure you’re not distracted by anything else. Instead, make eye contact and pay attention so your child can understand what they say is important and valued.

Set times throughout the day, such as dinnertime, where you can completely unplug and show your children your undivided attention. This attention will show your children they are important while demonstrating good values for them when it comes to screen time and work-life balance.

7. Reward Effort Instead of Performance

While your child getting first place at something will be an amazing feeling for both of you, you must reward more than performance. The rewarding effort shows your child they won’t always win, but it’s important to keep trying no matter what, especially if it’s something your child wants to continue.

For example, if your child studied hard for a test and only gets a B, give them a pat on the back for their effort of studying rather than their grade. Your child was likely hoping for an A, so instead of putting them down, you can help them find ways to study more effectively to ace their next exam.

Final Thoughts

Raising a well-balanced child takes effort from you as the parent, not the child. While there are some aspects of your child’s behavior you’ll never be able to impact, there are things you can do at home to ensure they grow up to be the best versions of themselves. With time, patience, and understanding you can help your child have a well-balanced life and a successful future ahead.