30 Ways to Restore Peace into Your Parenting
Parenting is hard and it’s normal to not stay calm 100% of the time. The good news is that kids are forgiving when you apologize and there’s always going to be another chance to restore the peace and reconnect as a parent. Here’s a few practical tips to do just that:
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Talk about your own feelings, using descriptive language beyond mad, sad or happy
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Allow your child the opportunity to explain their perspective and share their feelings, even when they have disobeyed you
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Paraphrase what they said to provide words to label their feelings
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Words hold power: use positive and intentional language
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Involve your child in volunteering or charitable activities
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Talk about empathy and ask them to think about situations from others’ point of view
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Give them responsibility and tasks at home
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Practice self-care so you have energy to care for others
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Apologize when you make a mistake
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Show them it’s okay to be imperfect
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When possible give your child options
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Ask them to help repair something they caused. For example, if they knock something over, ask them to help clean it up
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Hug it out!
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Set guidelines so they know what is expected of them
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Plan a fun ‘date’ night with with each kid
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Invest in one-on-one time daily
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Recognize accomplishments and focus on positive behavior
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Join a community of parents for support
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When possible, share a meal together as a family
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Make a habit of sharing gratitudes or “Rose and Thorns” for the day- a rose is something good that happened and a thorn is something that hurt them
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Get outside together
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Find time to talk with your child- while traveling to school or at night before they go to bed
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Sing their favorite songs together
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Color them a picture/write them a special note
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Our thoughts are reflected in our faces, be aware of your expressions
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Encourage other adults to invest in your child
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Ask questions about your child’s day
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Model positive behavior- let them know when you need to cool down
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Model positive behavior- be aware of how you talk in the car, on social media or in arguments
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Leave us a comment and let us know which one resonated with you and one that you’ll try!