Balihow – Gentle parenting, a nurturing approach centered on empathy, respect, understanding, and healthy boundaries, aims to raise confident, independent, and happy children.
One of the most significant advantages of gentle parenting is the strengthened bond it fosters between parents and children. This parenting style prioritizes that crucial connection.
Read also: 4 Benefits of Implementing Gentle Parenting: Raising Empathetic Children
Furthermore, children raised with gentle parenting techniques are more likely to develop empathy.
According to the Cleveland Clinic on Thursday, March 13, 2025, here are some valuable tips to help parents successfully implement gentle parenting:
1. Stay Calm and Positive
Research highlighted in “Catching Kids Being Good: A Practical Guide to Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports” suggests that parents should offer four times as much praise as negative feedback to encourage positive behavioral changes in their children.
“Even in situations where you might disagree with someone, try to remain calm. Your child will then recognize the value of staying composed rather than resorting to shouting or yelling,” advises pediatrician Karen Estrella, MD.
2. Plan Your Reactions to Negative Behavior
It’s beneficial to pre-plan how you’ll react to challenging situations, especially when you want to avoid being reactive in the heat of the moment.
For instance, imagine you’re taking your child grocery shopping.
Consider in advance how you will respond if your child becomes upset because you won’t buy them a toy or treat they want. Having a prepared plan allows you to take a step back and respond calmly and effectively.
Read also: What Is Gentle Parenting? An Expert Explains
3. Work Together as a Team
When negative behavior occurs, ask reflective questions such as, “Why did you respond that way?” and “Do you understand how I felt?”
This approach helps children understand your feelings.
From there, parents and children can discuss the answers to these questions and the resulting consequences.
Furthermore, you can both talk about individual triggers.
These conversations play a vital role in nurturing your relationship with your child.
A study titled “Parent-Child Attachment Security and Depressive Symptoms in Early Adolescence: The Mediating Roles of Gratitude and Forgiveness” indicates that mutual understanding and a collaborative approach to parenting enhance a child’s sense of attachment to their parents. This stronger attachment is associated with fewer depressive symptoms and higher levels of gratitude and forgiveness later in life.
Ringkasan
Gentle parenting is a nurturing approach focused on empathy, respect, understanding, and setting healthy boundaries. It aims to raise children who are confident, independent, and happy. A key benefit of this style is the strengthened bond between parents and children, with children also more likely to develop empathy.
Tips for successful gentle parenting include staying calm and positive, aiming for a 4:1 ratio of praise to negative feedback. Planning reactions to negative behavior in advance helps avoid reactive responses. Working together as a team by discussing feelings and triggers fosters mutual understanding and strengthens the parent-child relationship, leading to fewer depressive symptoms and higher levels of gratitude later in life.