Raising Happy Kids Without The Guilt

There is no one-rule-book-fits-all when it comes to parenting. Often, being a “good enough parent” is the right approach.

- Sandhya Mahadevan

This is a typical scenario, working parents, a growing child or children and no time to be “perfect”. Whether you are a working or stay-at-home parent, there is no such thing, say experts. Likewise, there are no model parents, as no two children are the same, says Amelia Mak, Educational and Developmental Psychologist at Think Kids, and on the same count, no two children’s needs are the same. “A certain approach that may work for one family may not necessarily work for another,” she says. “Likewise, family lifestyles may differ according to whether it suits the particular family’s needs or not.”

As parents strive to provide their children with the best of everything, they end up burning out and over extending on time that they do not have. Amelia says that particularly in this day and age, when it is increasingly challenging to balance both the child and parents’ own needs, parents have to learn to manage their guilt. “Some parents worry about not providing the same opportunities as other children, and strive to provide the best. But to meet their child’s needs, parents must fill their own ‘emotional cup’ first so that they can in turn provide for their child. This may include time for sufficient rest, both physically and mentally, as well as emotionally,” she says.

With that in mind, here are some shortcuts that may not make it to the book of “perfect parenting” yet do not in any way compromise on your children’s good upbringing.