Being a parent is a difficult job. Many people would even say the most difficult job. There is a lot of responsibility, forethought, and intention in raising children who are respectful and contribute to improving the quality and wellbeing of the world we live in. Such a big job shouldn’t be tackled alone! That’s why we believe it takes a village to raise children.
Here are a few parenting tips from the ‘village’ at Valeo.
Make It Fun!
“The kids, when about two and a half and five, didn’t care too much for green beans. So, I started to call them “squeaky beans.” I would boil green beans until they softened some but were still somewhat firm. I showed them how to rub them on their front teeth and it would make a squeaking noise. Green beans became their favorite vegetable!” — Michelle M.
“Embrace the fun … the season with littles is so quick. I’m thankful for the spontaneous moments we just went for it. Dancing through fountains in DC and not caring if we were drenched.” — Michelle S.
“Kids love games, even when doing chores if we can have fun it doesn’t seem like work, just playing.” — Dr. Jon
“Spend high-quality, fun time together: Take family trips, serve at church together, be involved in their activities (coaching, encouraging, etc.). We also decided to allow treats on Wednesday nights and Saturday morning junk cereal as something fun, but not habitual.” — Dr. Aaron
“Everything goes smoother for us if it’s turned into a song! Diaper changes, getting dressed, brushing teeth… we have a song for everything.” – Elizabeth M.
Reflect on God’s Presence
“I haven’t gotten to use this one yet, but something I want to do with my kid(s) once old enough is to always ask them at bedtime how they saw God at work that day. I think it would be a great way to reflect on God’s greatness each day as well as spend some time in gratitude and end our day on a positive note! I think it also is a great way for adults to see the world and God’s greatness through the eyes of a child … which I think many of us could benefit from!” — Elizabeth M.
“Whenever my children have bad dreams, I ask them to close their eyes and picture where Jesus is in the dream. They will often give a clear description. We pray together and they fall back to sleep quickly.” — Michelle S.
“Worship music changes the atmosphere. If chaos seems to be having its way, we will play peaceful music in the car, house, or even switch playlists for bedtime. It makes such a difference!” — Michelle S.
Discipline
“When it comes to discipline, I do my best to get to their eye level. I have loved teaching my girls that mistakes happen, they are forgiven and can make better decisions/choices. I believe the grace in those moments breaks them of any striving for perfection from an early age and that in exchange, they experience love even in the correcting of behavior. I also must dial in … they may just need my attention and that in and of itself can help calm behavior.” — Michelle S.
“Take them on the journey! Our girls have always been involved with our rhythm! We would take them to worship nights at church, restaurants, and road trips from an early age. They learned our family rhythm!” — Michelle S.
“Discipline is huge — don’t let them be little monsters! Sometimes a spanking is what’s best for them even though we are told by pop psychologists it’s not. I have seen it turn my own kids around in an instant. Don’t do it if you are angry, do it out of love.” — Dr. Aaron
“Start showing what you expect from a young age, and demonstrate it yourself. Involve your kid (as much as possible with their age) in cleaning. Whenever possible, Emmy (age 1) helps to ‘wipe clean’ her high chair, the floor, etc.).” – Elizabeth M.
Express Your Love and Support
“With more than one child, we have found it very important to spend intentional time with each one individually. Most kids want to feel loved and heard and focusing all your attention on them even for a short while is noticed. I always want to spend more time with my kids but make it a point that the time I am spending with them is not distracted.” — Dr. Jon
“Tell them you love them, you are proud of them, and let them know what they are good at. Also, make sure you apologize when you make mistakes!” — Dr. Aaron
“Practically speaking, we have loved a clock that changes color when it is OK for them to get out of bed.” — Dr. Jon
“When things got tough for them, whether it was school, a friend problem that needed to be resolved, or something else, we would tell them that we were on their side and help talk through how they could resolve or handle that thing.” — Amy S.
“Ask questions! Find out what they are interested in and help them pursue those interests.” — Dr. Jon
“When the train gets off the track it is usually because they are hungry, angry, lonely, or tired (same for adults), find out what need isn’t being met and meet that one first.” — Dr. Jon
“If I knew my kids had something big going on that day, I would pray with them in person or I would make sure I texted them that I was praying for them.” — Amy S.
Show Them How to Treat Relationships
“We wanted to make sure our kids knew how to treat others. Make sure they know they are important, but so is your relationship with your spouse. Also make sure they know how to look people in the eye when they meet them, how to respect their elders, and help them pick good friends. Also attend church together so they can develop a relationship with God.” — Dr. Aaron
“We plan to make sure our little girl knows how to treat others. If we see someone not being treated right, we will speak up in the moment, but also take time to discuss as a family why what was happening was not OK, and discuss how they should have been treated instead.” — Elizabeth M.
“I went through a season of loss. I had 5 funerals in 5 weeks starting with one of my closest friends growing up. During that time, I tried as best I could to teach my kids the importance of coming along side someone who is hurting and telling them ‘I’m sorry for your (whatever happened).’ Allowing your friend to talk if they would like to or to be there so they weren’t alone during this difficult time.” — Amy S.
“We encouraged our kids to volunteer at church to focus on others and to try new things. Little did we know of the impact it would have on them!” — Amy S.
Teach Them Trust and How to Be an Adult
“When our kids became teenagers, we decided to not have a curfew, instead we wanted to know who they were with, what the activity was, based on that we decided on what time they should be home. I believe they felt a bit grown-up since they didn’t have a curfew like many of their friends, and we the parents could make an ‘educated’ decision based on the information.” — Amy S.
Teach Them to Care for Themselves
Health has a big impact on quality and trajectory of one’s life. When you’re in good health, you can accomplish so much more and can do so without pain, with less worry, etc.
Check out our blog Good Health from Birth and Beyond for more ideas of how to instill the value of health in your own children. A great way to demonstrate the importance of preventative health care is by taking part in our Kids Days, which take place once per week. During Kids Days, children ages 18 and under receive discounted chiropractic care. Call our office at 952-949-0676 for more information or to schedule your appointment.
