Principles of Parenting With Grace

When you bring your baby home from the hospital, you think about all the things you want her to become and feel like you have so much time to prepare her, but that time is, in fact, limited. If you want your child to turn out right and have a life of true greatness, you have to prepare her well by the time she leaves your nest. You need a philosophy of parenting that focuses on the heart of your child and keeps the end result in mind. Parenting with grace allows you to walk the journey of growth with your child and allows her to develop her own path.

  1. Forgiving Easily

    • Recognizing the fact that life has given you very many chances allows you to be gracious to your child. While it is important to instill discipline when your child is wrong, it is equally important to be able to move on from the incident as a parent. After applying punishment, make sure your child understands why you punished him. You may not be able to talk to him at the time because both of you are upset, but go back to him afterward to make sure he does not close his heart to you. Be liberal with your love and make sure he understands that you love him. Unconditional love is only attainable when you can forgive and appreciate your child̵7;s effort to grow and change.

    Recognizing the Individuality of A Child

    • Every child is different and must be treated as an individual. Some children require more patience than others, and others may need more defined structures. For example, an untidy child will need more defined boundaries about where to place her toys. One child might learn how to tie her shoe laces faster than others. Expecting all your children to be the same can be frustrating and is unfair to them. Recognize each child̵7;s individuality and design a parental model that allows her to learn and grow at her own pace.

    Staying in the Present

    • Forgetting past mistakes and focusing on the present is an essential part of grace. Treat every discipline incident as though it is the first time. Constantly reminding a child of his past mistakes weakens his will to try. For example, a child who wets the bed might be desperately trying and simply need encouragement. When you yell at his inability to stop and show frustration, he may be overwhelmed with anxiety and be unable to sleep in fear of wetting his bed again.

    Accepting What You Cannot Change

    • Accepting your child for who she is and not what you want her to become is an essential part of parenting with grace. Accept that there will be aspects of your child that will fall short of your expectations. Parenting with grace requires that you focus on more important values, such as family, faith and emotional wellness, even as you motivate your child to achieve academic success. If your child does not want to pursue the career you think best for her, support her in the new path. If your child does not enjoy reading as an educational practice, support what she enjoys, such as audio or video material.

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