Consistency Parenting Tip No.1

Finally why have I placed Consistency as Parenting Tip No.2?

One of the biggest secrets in parenting is down to one word Consistency Parenting Tip No.1. The biggest lesson in parenting is knowing that children need consistency. Not chaos, disorder, mixed messages, inconsistent rule on what is good or bad. Children from toddlers to teens need to understand basic consistent principles and habits in life that will benefit, support and help them through life.

Mixed messages from parents, grandparents, teachers create confusion and discomfort for children. Even although children will as they do object, reject and challenge you. Ultimately a consistent parent that never deviates from a set of parenting principles, ethics, moral or religious values will form a confident and self assured child.

What is Consistency?

Consistency; is always holding firmly to doing, acting or behaving in the same way without giving up.

The simple consitency of teaching manners; please, thank you, excuse me. The consistency of rewards or penalties for untidy rooms, keeping curfews, doing chores or helping around the home. The routines of bedtime stories, sitting and having dinner together as a family, saying night prayers.

Every small incremental thing will shape their future. As I always say everything in life isn’t about the big one off gestures, incidents but small positive repetitive incremental habits and behaviour.

Secret to its Success

As mothers and fathers you usually discover this through trial and error. The real success to consistency is to create a playbook and set of principle that both Mum and Dad understand, agree on and never deviate from. Whether it is eating habits, bedtime routine, rewards and penalties.

Our biggest underestimation as parents is how clever our children are. Any chink in your strategy or deviation between Mum’s rules and Dad’s rules will turn everything into chaos. Early on as parents have a conversation on how you want to encourage, support, reward and discipline your children.

The decisions you make here may seem insignificant. But overtime as they move from babies, to toddlers to primary school age to teenagers having a set of principles you both agree on will pay dividends. The young adults they become will be defined by those little principles.

More importantly when they reach the transition from teenage to adulthood. When you reach the more challenging conversations and situations. The resolutions and outcomes of those situations will be determined by the strength or weakness of those joint principles you have created and taught them when raising your wee family.