Tag Archives: family relationships

How to Create a Strong Relationship With Your Children

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Creating a Strong Relationship With your Child: 

Introduction:

Creating a strong relationship that will last for life with your kids. Every parent worries constantly about their children – usually before they are even born.

We worry about them being safe and how they will thrive in a changing and challenging world.

Every parent wants the absolute best for their children and for them to mature into resilient, independent adults.



At CosyChats.com we support personalised parental support and parent mentoring. CosyChats.com offers a parenting safe space free from judgement and shame where no question is too small and not issue to big.

A powerful technique towards this is nurturing an open and sharing relationship with your child where they feel they can approach you to tell you anything – without feeling fear, guilt, or shame – only hearing your guidance.

As the milestones of my son growing up fast came and went by, I feel fortunate that he has come to me when he has needed help, advice or just to vent how he felt. I felt we had a strong relationship and that we could discuss most things openly. 

At first it would be just him telling me about his day at the end of school, but then it became about his friendships and what he wanted from his life.

When we moved house we talked about him being happier and preferring being somewhere rural and meeting new people.

And then, unfortunately there are the less happy things such as the peer pressure and judgement of the teenage years, the pitfalls of dating and when education pressures start to weigh heavy.



I feel very fortunate to have this safe space in my small family for him to share with us but I don’t think it was just by accident. 

My honest hope is that by using some  of the ideas and tools in this blog, anyone can build openness, trust and grow the confidence in their children to share their thoughts and feelings so important in future adulthood. Building a strong relationship was important for me, i wanted my son to trust me and be able to speak to me. 

 

Why being an Approachable and Open Parent helps build a Strong Relationship with  your Children 

If Work getting in the way of your family read our blog  What Happens When WORK Disrupts Time With Your Kids?

Do you remember times when you felt your feelings just didn’t matter?

That time at work in a meeting when your boss ignores your opinion completely?

The girlfriend that just tells you your opinion is wrong without even listening?.

Maybe as a child when you were upset and a parent just told you to not make such a fuss..

Now do you remember the times you felt that your feelings and opinion did matter?

When someone took the time not to just listen – but to understand your viewpoint.

How they tried to change things for you you felt something was unfair

When they didn’t just dismiss you and tell you to get on with it

If you remember the difference, you will understand why it’s important for a parent to have a an open sharing relationship with their child. 

If you have been treated like this you will have empathy for:

Feeling anger because your feelings didn’t matter.

Feeling shame for feeling this way to start with.

And insecurity because your feelings were rarely valued.

Knowing these things we should focus on the strong relationship we are building with our children.

It’s important to remember that in childhood we learn about the world, and how to process our emotions. The sort of relationships you form with other people.

When a child grows up without the security and comfort of having a safe space they can end up emotionally distant, insecure or  scared of commitment.

Without a sense of safety, risky behaviour is more likely, because they have never felt safe.

If they aren’t successful in approaching people and expressing themselves they can end up with lower confidence, making adult life harder – the opposite of what we really wanted for our children.

The Benefits of Being an Open Door Parent to build a Strong Relationship with your child 

A great way of imagining what an open parent child relationship looks like is an open door.

Your child should feel comfortable sharing anything with you but this requires trust, communication, and a supportive environment.

The door is a great analogy because it works on so many levels.

Being an open door means that you are mostly always available, but it also means that you don’t ever force or expect that conversation. You can show them that the door is open, but they have to choose if they want to share, and when. Celebrate their honesty, as the foundation to an open and trusting relationship.

It also means they are free to leave, they only have to say what they want to and can leave at will. There are ways, however of encouraging your child to share, and practical tips on how to have these conversations when they do

How to Build a Strong relationship with Your child.

How to really listen to your child – pitfalls parents fall into that create distrust 

When your child chooses to start this conversation, be fully present as much as possible.

There are times of course, like when life is hectic or possibly you are driving, when it’s harder to do this. You can always agree to finish talking about it later.

During your talk, put everything else aside, put the phone down and give it your full attention.

Make them know you are listening by reflecting (asking questions or making statements to how you are listening) what they say to you as this also makes them feel validated. Make them feel seen and understood. When they do talk, be transparent and honest in your dialogue – building credibility and growing trust. 

Asking open ended questions also stops the conversation shutting down.

Your child may also communicate better in different ways. A text or note might work better than face to face, talking during an activity might open things up.

If we try to take an interest in their world and what is important to them, they may also feel more comfortable in coming forward to you. 

Why Really Listening to Your Child is so important

Its really important your child feels heard and knows that you as their parent will listen.  Most parents will say they listen to their children but do we really listen?  I think the biggest culprit is ‘distracted listening’. Listening to your child but being engaged on something else, usually your phone. Give your children attention.  Make them feel their feelings matter and you care.  Most parents do care and want to hear their children but often parents give the impression of being distracted.

Give Support to your Child not Judgement

As a parent is try to show empathy wherever possible and ask open-ended questions. Children are more likely to talk if you listen without judgement or criticism. A technique for this is to say ‘I’ instead of ‘you’ statements, taking the focus off them. Also encourage them to talk by praising their honesty. Use words that support and show your love, not criticism or minimising the problem.

It’s also important to stay calm if the conversation gets tough or touches on taboo subjects – it’s important they feel safe coming to you in the future.

You can  show your support by brainstorming and working on problem solving solutions together – as a team.

Be mindful that building a strong relationship with your child takes time and the relationship will be tested.  Being a parent means considering the long term relationship and not reacting or worse over reacting to the extent your child child not fears being able to tell you things.

How to spend quality time with your child and still be a parent. 

Quality time with your child is a given for a great relationship with your child.

It’s also a great way to encourage them to be open with you. By choosing activities they enjoy, they will be relaxed and more inclined to talk.

Find rituals that stick, a chat at bedtime or the school run and family dinners eaten together.

Personally I would take my son on a bike ride, or a hot chocolate as a treat on Fridays.

Experiment what works for you and your child don’t force it just find something you can enjoy with a treat ideally.  The hot chocolate is our father son thing, something we enjoy together and strengthens the bond between us.

If you do this regularly enough you can also check in, asking them how they are doing.

Start this good parenting habit early so it becomes their normal. Try to keep your promises to be there – but don’t expect that they will automatically open up to you. Be patient especially with teens. You build a strong parent child relationship but it will change and you will have to adapt your parenting style. Things change for teenagers and what was cool pre-teens may not be anymore, including you.  

Balance a child’s right to privacy with parental responsibility.

Another facet of keeping your parent child bond connected is to respect your child’s privacy. If they feel you are intruding they are less likely to be open with you or share problems in the future.

Balancing your child’s right to privacy and your role as a parent can be difficult at times.  If your child is at risk then you may reasonably decide their privacy is a secondary concern.

My advice would be if you can look into their life without them knowing then consider it.  Checking phones is a big one.  If you can check it without them knowing then this maybe a good solution.  You need to be prepared to defend and explain your right as a parent to delve into your child’s personal life though.

It maybe better to be up front and ask your child more personal questions but this may just shut them down and highlight your interest.  Its not ideal but sometimes being a parent involves being sneaky.

Ultimately your parental responsibility is to keep your children safe and free from harm.  The wishes of your child are out weighted by the right of you as a parent to them i think.  If you explain why you breached their privacy your child may not like it but hopefully they’ll understand why you did it as their parent, because you love and care for them.  Sometimes listening takes a back seat as a parent and you need more direct action to help and support your children.

Modelling good parent behaviour and sharing vulnerability 

Maybe in the past you have heard other parents say,”Do as I say, not as I do”. 

Hopefully this is just a way of saying that as parents we know we are not perfect.

This aside though, a very powerful way of encouraging your child to be open and share with you- is to do this yourself. Don’t be afraid to open up your life before you were a parent to your child. 

Whether during a period when they are beginning to open up to you, or just in general. They can only feel more comfortable to talk when you nurture an environment of openness and  trust. Sharing the times you went through similar problems, and how you personally overcome them. Builds trust and will bring you together.


For me personally – not hiding my own problems from my son- mental or physical brought another affect that I did not even expect. 

Being open, being honest, takes away the pressure of hiding it from your child. From pretending that everything is fine. This is a weight off your shoulders that nobody including parents needs to carry.

Sometimes what your child might say could even surprise you in how useful it is to your problem. Our children should not be our therapists, but they see the world in a much more open and simple way.

You may be surprised how helpful and understanding your children can be to your needs and see you as more than a parent who tells them what to do and a human who has their own frailties.

 

How guidance and not punishment can help you form a better relationship with your child



Focus on what you as a parent wanted to achieve with your child.

Creating a parent child safe space will bring benefits to both of you, and strengthen your relationship for a lifetime.

Although there are times when there will need to be punishment for your child, the occasions where they have shared something difficult might not be one of these times.

This doesn’t mean there can’t be consequences for your child, but by focusing on the guidance, and explaining how it’s different from punishment – the outcomes will hopefully be more positive and your child will still want to share with you in the future.

By removing fear and retribution, and by using problem solving and discussion then you can have healthier consequences and not just punishments without any subsequent change.

Being a parent means you have to think of the war and not just the battles but also battles aren’t really battles, they are opportunities to provide guidance to your child.

 

Conclusion



Building an open, sharing relationship with your child doesn’t happen overnight.

It needs a lot of patience and experimenting to find out what works.

But it is worthwhile. The bond of trust and dependability will build resilience, trust and a relationship that will last a lifetime. 

Even if you feel you don’t have this quite yet, it’s never too late to start.

Start small by introducing ritual quality time with your child with regular check-ins. Tell them you are always available for them, be patient and practice active listening.

Be open to sharing feelings and thoughts in both directions with your child to grow their  trust.

If you wish to discuss this further or get help with any other parenting issues. Feel free to contact me on CosyChats.

CosyChats.com hosts experienced parent who can provide Personalised Parent Support including interacting and communicating with schools.

CosyChats supports personalised parent support. CosyChats offers a parenting safe space free from judgement and shame where no question is too small and not issue to big.
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Thank you for reading the blog  (how-to-create-a-strong-relationship-with-your-children). Understanding how creating a strong bond with your child is beneficial. Can change the way you think about parenting your child.

What Happens When WORK Disrupts Time With Your Kids?

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How to balance work and life?

Are you getting the work life balance right? We can Help. You know that feeling? You finally settle in for family dinner, the day’s grind mostly behind you. You lean in, ready to hear all about your child’s adventures, and just as they’re about to spill the beans on a truly epic story, your phone decides to make its presence known. Bzzzt! It’s an “urgent” work email, sitting there, glowing on the table. You glance at it – maybe you don’t even reply – but the moment? Poof. Gone. Your mind, just a second ago tuned into dinosaurs or playground drama, is suddenly back at the office, churning through deadlines and to-do lists. And here’s the kicker: your child can tell. They always can. If that scenario hits a little too close to home, please know this: you are absolutely, unequivocally not alone. That relentless, insistent pull of work isn’t just a nuisance; it’s one of the biggest, most insidious thieves of genuine family connection we face today. But here’s the good news: you don’t have to let it steal another precious moment. You can stop it.

 

The Real Cost of Lost Work Life Balance

It’s easy to dismiss these interruptions as just “one lost moment,” a minor blip. But let’s be real, it’s rarely just one. It’s the creeping, unsettling feeling that your family is consistently getting the leftovers of your attention, the scraps of your mental energy. Our kids are incredibly perceptive, aren’t they? They notice when your eyes dart towards that screen mid-sentence, even if it’s just a quick flick. They pick up on it when you offer a vague “uh-huh” but then can’t repeat a single word of the elaborate tale they just shared. These aren’t isolated incidents; they’re tiny, accumulating deposits into a memory bank. And the balance? It starts to look like “Mum was physically here, but her thoughts were a million miles away,” or “Dad’s body was at the table, but his brain was still stuck in that meeting.” Your work life balance is not balanced

 

That gnawing guilt you feel? That knot in your stomach when you realize you’ve missed something important because your mind was elsewhere? That’s not a sign that you’re a bad parent. Far from it. That guilt is actually your internal alarm system, your cue to change the system, not to beat yourself up. It’s telling you that something needs to shift. Because when our attention is constantly divided, it’s not just about missing a story; it’s about the subtle, yet profound, message we send about what truly holds our value. Over time, this can erode the very foundation of connection, leaving both parents and children feeling stressed and undervalued. The good news is, you don’t need to quit your job or move to a cabin in the woods to fix this. In the next few minutes, I’m going to share three dead-simple, actionable steps I use with hundreds of coaching clients to effectively shut down that “work-brain” and reclaim truly present family time.

 

The Shutdown Ritual

First up, let’s talk about creating a shutdown ritual. This isn’t some crazy concept; it’s rooted in solid neuroscience. Our brains, brilliant as they are, absolutely love cues and routines. Think about it: the same song before a workout, the same phrase before a big presentation – these signals tell your brain, “Okay, time to shift gears.” We need to harness that power to tell our prefrontal cortex, “Work day complete. Mission accomplished. Now, on to family mode.”

 

My own ritual is ridiculously simple, and it takes about ninety seconds. I close my laptop with a definitive thump. Then, I say out loud, “Office closed!” It sounds a bit silly, I know, but trust me, it works. Finally, I roll my shoulders back twice, taking a deep exhale through my mouth. When I do this, my seven-year-old knows – truly knows – that Dad is officially back on planet family. He’s home, present, and ready to engage. Your work life balance has begun

 

The beauty of a shutdown ritual is that it can be anything you want it to be. The key is consistency. Pick one specific action, one clear phrase, and one intentional breath. Then, commit to doing it every single day, without fail, even on weekends if you’re doing any work. Why? Because you’re paving a neural highway in your brain. The more consistently you use that cue, the stronger the connection becomes between that action and the mental shift to “off-duty” mode.

 

If you work from home, adding a physical boundary can be incredibly powerful. It’s not just about a mental shift; it’s about a literal transition. Maybe you take a quick walk to the postbox and back, or change out of your “work clothes” into something more casual. Some parents even put on a specific playlist, or just step outside for five minutes of fresh air. The goal here is to give your nervous system the same crystal-clear clarity that your calendar has when that last meeting ends at five o’clock. No ritual, no boundary; no boundary, no true presence. It really is that straightforward. This isn’t about being perfect; it’s about creating a consistent, undeniable signal for your brain and your family that work is done, and you are here.

 

The Tech-Free Zone

Research from the University of Michigan found that even the mere presence of a powered-off smartphone on the table can degrade the quality of a conversation. Think about that for a second. Not buzzing, not ringing, not even turned on – just being there is enough to make us less present, less engaged. Imagine the havoc an active buzz or a constant stream of notifications wreaks on genuine connection. It’s like having a third, very distracting, guest at your table.

 

Now, I know what you might be thinking: Technology free is hard and yes it is but its so worth it.  To have a real conversation, not a look at this video. To have a real work life balance you have to make sacrifices.

 

Tools like autoresponder apps or “Inbox Pause” can buy you grace, allowing you to temporarily halt incoming emails without appearing unresponsive. Your boss, frankly, wants solutions and results, not necessarily immediate availability at 6:17 p.m.

Many companies are catching on and setting work comms bans to encourage a better work life balance.  Whether this is lip service or a real commitment from the company is downto be discovered but if your company offers adhere to it.

The Presence Anchor

Third, and this one is a game-changer for those moments when your mind inevitably starts to drift back to spreadsheets, presentations, or that email you forgot to send: use a presence anchor. Let’s be honest, even with the best intentions, our brains are wired to problem-solve, to replay, to plan. So, the thought of work will sneak back in. The trick isn’t to prevent it entirely – that’s like trying to stop the tide – but to return quickly and smoothly.

 

My personal anchor is a small, blue Lego brick that lives in my pocket. Whenever I catch myself nodding absently while my daughter is talking, or staring blankly at my plate, I subtly squeeze that Lego brick. Then, I silently name five things I can see in the room. “Blue couch, dinosaur sticker on the wall, steam rising from the soup, freckles on my daughter’s nose, the flicker of the candle.” Five seconds, five senses, and boom – my brain is rebooted, pulled firmly back into the present moment.

 

You don’t need a Lego brick, of course. Anything tactile or sensory will do. Maybe it’s the rough seam on your jeans, the comforting warmth of your coffee mug, or the distinct smell of garlic bread baking in the oven. Psychologists call this “grounding,” a technique to bring you back to the here and now by engaging your senses. Kids, being the masters of play, often call it “the pause game,” and they’ll happily play along if you explain it. You can even make it a shared activity: “Okay, everyone, let’s play the five-senses game!”

 

The miracle here isn’t that you’ll never drift. We’re human, and our minds wander. The true miracle is that you’ll learn to return fast enough, so swiftly that your child doesn’t even register that you left. They won’t feel abandoned mid-story, or like their words are landing on deaf ears. Every time you drop an anchor, every time you consciously pull yourself back, you’re strengthening the muscle of presence. And let me tell you, presence? That’s the currency your kids value more than any amount of time. It’s the feeling of being truly seen, truly heard, and truly loved.

 

 Quick Troubleshooting

Alright, let’s tackle a couple of common objections that often pop up when we talk about setting these kinds of boundaries.

 

Objection one: “My job is 24/7; I literally can’t ignore calls.” I hear you. Some roles demand a level of responsiveness that feels impossible to escape. But even in those scenarios, there are strategies. First, utilize the VIP list feature on your phone. Most smartphones allow you to designate certain contacts whose calls or messages can break through “do not disturb” mode. So, only your manager’s number, or perhaps a critical client, gets through. Everything else? It waits. You can even tell your child, “Look, if this specific ringtone happens, it means it’s a real emergency, and I need thirty seconds to say, ‘I’ll call you back at eight.'” They learn that emergencies exist, yes, but they also learn that they are rare, and your default is them. This also aligns with delegating and sharing responsibilities. Can a colleague cover for a specific window? Have you explored any employer-provided flexible work arrangements that might allow you to adjust your schedule slightly?

Advocating for these small changes can make a huge difference. work life balance isn’t about shutting work off completely its about getting the balance right that works for both sides.

Objection two: “I feel incredibly guilty setting these boundaries. It feels selfish.” This is a big one, and it’s a mindset shift we absolutely need to make. Let’s flip the script entirely. Your kids are always watching you, always learning. They model what they see. When they observe you consistently protecting your family time, what message are you sending them? You’re teaching them invaluable lessons about self-respect, about prioritizing relationships, about managing their own stress, and about the importance of balance. You’re showing them how to set healthy boundaries for their future partners and their future kids. Boundaries aren’t selfish; they are, in fact, one of the first, most powerful lessons in self-respect and healthy relationships your child will ever get from you, live and in vibrant color. You’re not depriving them; you’re equipping them. You’re not being selfish; you’re being a powerful role model.

 

Small steps to better work life balance

This probably feels like a lot so just try it one and if it works commit to trying that one thing for three days straight. When you succeed for three days, you’ve built a little bit of momentum. That’s your cue to add the next step. Remember, momentum beats perfection every single time. This isn’t about being flawless from day one; it’s about consistent, incremental progress.

 

And if you blow it tomorrow? If the phone buzzes and you instinctively grab it, or you forget your ritual? That’s okay. Seriously, it’s part of the process. Don’t let that one misstep derail your entire effort. Just reboot at breakfast the next morning. Kids are incredibly forgiving, and they forget fast, especially when they can feel you genuinely trying. They don’t need you to be perfect; they just need you to be present, and to keep showing up and making the effort.

 

The ultimate goal here isn’t a Pinterest-perfect dinner with angelic children and gourmet food (like that’s ever going to happen anyway) . It’s far more profound than that. The goal is a child who, when asked about their parents, can say with absolute certainty and a warm smile, “When Mum’s here, she’s really here,” or “When Dad’s with me, he’s all there.” And they’ll mean every single word of it. That feeling, that connection, is worth every bit of effort.

 

Conclusion – CTA

Imagine this with me, two weeks from now. The phone buzzes on the counter, but it’s a distant sound, almost irrelevant. You’ve already done your shutdown ritual, signaling to your brain that work is officially off-duty. That device? It’s safely parked in its designated charging tray, out of sight and out of mind. Your eyes, your full attention, stay locked on your kid as they show you their art work, or recount the most important detail of their day. That genuine smile that spreads across your face? You can’t fake that kind of joy, and more importantly, they can’t un-feel that kind of pure, undivided connection. That’s the magic we’re aiming for.

 

I hope you achieve your work life balance. Yes Work pays the bills and put a roof over your head but its not your life.  Your family is the greatest and most important thing in your life.

Don’t be that parent who has an amazing career but hasn’t seen their children grow up.

 

CosyChats is a personalised parent support Service that can provide support to parents across a wide range of parenting issues including how to connect with your children and spend quality time together.  How to balance work and family life to ensure both are focused and not neglected. How to leave your parenting guilt at the door and build a solid and happy relationship with your children.

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🆘From Real Parents Who Know How Difficult Being a Parent Can Be

 

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👍🏼Your own personalised 1-2-1 service.

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CosyChats is a personalised parent support Service that can provide support to parents across a wide range of parenting issues including how to connect with your children and spend quality time together.  How to leave your parenting guilt at the door and build a solid and happy relationship with your children.

A dad forcing his child to follow his dreams

ARE You FORCING Your Child to Follow YOUR Dreams Instead of Theirs?

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Follow your dreams and be happy.  We all want this for our child don’t we? Sometimes our own dreams and expectations are put in front of our child’s dreams and this can be damaging.

That first goal scored, that first time they drive away in their own car.


The first time they bring their first love home with them


The wedding day, or the day they graduate university

When we find out we are going to be parents, often we are carried away with excitement.


Images of what they will become flash though our minds


We are overwhelmed by imagining them riding a bike, winning a football game, buying you the first legal drink or them getting married.

Of course, we want the best for our children but when do our ambitions for them become about us, and not them?

When do they do more harm than good?

If you want to discover the sort of ambitions parents have for their children, and when this becomes harmful, then this blog was written for you.

When ambitions for your children can be helpful.

Some of the things we want for our children as parents are perfectly good investments in their futures. There are things that mainly only have positive outcomes.


Things like getting into the best school, healthy habits like eating the right foods and getting enough sleep. We want them to have healthy relationships and plenty of friends.


Basically, we want to give them the best foundations to be happy and live a fulfilling life.


Maybe this is seeing them learn to drive, be in a school production or watching them develop a kind, caring personality. We tell them ‘follow your dreams’.

As parents this is what we’re supposed to do, guide them to success?

But what happens when this drive becomes too much for the child, should we as parents ignore this cause we know best?

The other kinds of ambition. Don’t follow your dreams, follow mine.

The dreams we have for our children become dangerous
when they become more about us than them.

We do it for many reasons, but usually it is with the best intentions.

Sometimes it is us projecting our dreams onto our children, sporting, academic or jobs.

Maybe we want them to make choices that are less risky, but still make them unhappy.

Often we steer them towards the things that worked well for us in life, such as career choice.


When we find out they have a particular talent, it can be tempting to nurture it, even when they don’t enjoy it.

Or the desire for a larger continuing family motivates your subtle, or less subtle, hints for them to make you grandparents someday.

In my family, we are the sort of people that like a book and a good quiz, so we have to be careful not to expect our son to be the same.

Although he is good academically he does not enjoy it, he prefers computer games to books and prefers being out with friends to a board game.

If he wants to study beyond 18 then it has to come from him. If you don’t enjoy traditional academia, then forcing it will soon make it unpleasant for him and hard to sustain and still do well.


This all sounds reasonable but will he grow older and question why we didn’t push him more?

Why projecting your version of success in life can be damaging.

When you think about what happens to children when they have ambitions pushed upon them, it’s probably easy to think of the initial general negative side effects.

Of course, it starts with the tension and arguments when you first start to make it happen. Then maybe the ultimate cliché of an unhappy son working a lifetime in medicine or law when they wanted to be a journalist or actor! Maybe one day they’ll be thankful for the financial security or maybe they’ll hate the job and lead an unfulfilled life. Follow your dreams, ringing in their ears.

A house full of tension and resentment.

The less obvious side effect may be the underlying tension and arguments created in your household, which may in turn damage other family members well-being and put a strain on relationships and trust


.
It’s possible your children feel they just have to please you, and consequently be afraid to share how they really feel.

Is this really what you want? Are you really doing the best for your children? It’s easy to feel you are and when the child grows these feelings will disappear but they could be bitter and resent you for years.

Should we choose our child’s career path?

When we choose our children’s path for them, then aside from losing the option to decide, they may also never learn how to. They may never learn what they really want by investigating and making their own mistakes.

Also, they may not even learn the skills or get the confidence to weigh up choices and pick directions when standing at life’s many crossroads.

With your steering the ship for them, later in life they may have less motivation to pursue their own future goals.

If they do find success on the path you decided, it will not bring them the satisfaction of victory.

It can only feel empty as your goal. Follow your dreams long forgotten.

And maybe this is the main point, you will rob them of the chance to find their own path.

Possibly, you may also lose opportunities to explore new avenues for yourself when you witness their exploration.

When a child is locked into your ambition, they may never uncover strengths or skills in areas you never considered.

Summary

As parents, we strive to protect our children, to give them a better life than our own.

But just as we must watch them fall as they learn to walk, we must also learn to let them steer their own ship.

Our role is to guide and support. To provide stability and help if things don’t quite go to plan.

“The most beautiful butterflies are the opens that emerge from the chrysalis by themselves”

I’m sure there are parents though who feel they know best. That drawing on their wisdom and life experience they know more than the child. They are guiding the child to success.

These parents feel they are doing the best they can for their child. Not allowing them to waste their time on dreams that probably won’t come true.

The Compromise

Is there a compromise here? Can you support your child in what they want to do and guide them at the same time. I think so. Be supportive but not overpowering.

Talk To Your Child

For me the biggest thing is to talk to your child. Let them express their feelings and dreams. Be open and listen to what they want. Don’t force your dreams or version of success.

Life is too Short To Be Unhappy.

My Name is Drew and I’m a parent in the UK. Bringing up children isn’t easy and there are lots of decisions to be made but you don’t have to make all of them.

CosyChats is a Parenting Collective full of wonderful parents who have a vast experience of bringing up a family and how hard that can be. I’m on Cosy Chats and you can book some time with me to discuss any aspect of parenting. Browse the other parents and find the best one for you.

 

Thank you for reading [ ARE You FORCING Your Child to Follow YOUR Dreams Instead of Theirs?]

CosyChats is a personalised parent support Service that can provide support to parents across a wide range of parenting issues including how to bring up happy and well round children. how to allow children to follow their dreams and be happy.
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