How to Overcome 5 Parenting Challenges

There’s nothing more magical than holding your newborn baby in your arms — unless it’s watching them grow. There’s also nothing more difficult than raising that little child through all of their developmental changes. It’s fairly safe to say that parenting is one of the most rewarding things you can do and one of the most challenging. 

Yet, there is a growing need to overcome 5 parenting challenges of today’s age and time. 

Every child is different, so not every situation will be identical. However, there are some common obstacles that parents are likely to face. 

Here are ways to overcome 5 parenting challenges of a digital age and world and improve family dynamics on the go:

Managing Technology Use

To overcome 5 parenting challenges today, let’s begin with managing technology use. 

Kids are handed phones and tablets at younger ages than ever. They get hooked on them quickly. While many benefits come with technology, excessive use isn’t good for early development. 

 

Start by finding ways to limit technology use in the home. 

For example, you can do this by having kids earn screen time by completing chores and homework. 

You can also consider products that have the benefits of technology without the time-wasting apps, like a kid’s smartphone from Gabb Wireless. 

You can come up with a limit on screen time based on your child’s age and other commitments. 

The American Academy of Paediatrics society recommends a couple of screen time hours a day. Consider aiming for that benchmark for personal technology use since many schools use screens to aid in education.

Planning Quality Activities

If you’re limiting technology use (as you should), you’ll need to form and bring some replacement activities to the table. These must entertain your kids while remaining unplugged and bring your family closer. 

The hardest part about this task is knowing where to start. 

There are tons of resources online that are full of ideas. 

Just look up a family blog, and you’ll get ideas for arts and crafts, outings, and games to enjoy together. All you must now do is organize the activity on your own and plug them into your family calendar. 

The next part of this “overcome 5 parenting challenges” blog post section is getting your kids on board with these ideas. 

In the beginning, there will be some pushback. They might not understand your point. Your spouse, too, might be tired. 

But you have to give it a push every now and then. Without your trial, it wouldn’t be that possible. You have to initiate the idea that there is a whole other world beyond cell phones, mobiles, or tablets. 

For that, you need to be ready to insert some extra excitement into the situation until you find activities that become family favorites. 

Disciplining Properly

To overcome 5 parenting challenges, there is this new school of thought: parenting discipline. You’re probably trying to balance being overly firm and letting your kids run the show. Knowing how to discipline properly and doing so is quite a challenge for that reason. 

Exactly how you discipline your kids should be a personal matter. 

Different family dynamics and personalities will require varying approaches. Just keep a few tips in mind. 

Yelling rarely accomplishes anything, and it’s better to talk things through with your kids. Blame and shame also do more harm than good for discipline and correction. 

Another important aspect of discipline is remaining consistent, especially when parenting multiple kids. If one child gets a greater punishment than their sibling for committing the same error, they’ll cry foul, and rightfully so. 

When your discipline is fair and constant, it will become a more effective parenting method. 

Recognizing Teaching Moments

Parenting is more than just handing out punishments. It’s also your job to recognize teaching moments and act on them. Even when enrolled in school, kids rely on their parents for much of their education. 

Home is where they’ll learn practical skills such as laundry and emotional skills such as compassion and patience. 

So, to overcome 5 parenting challenges, parents must know how to turn adversity with kids into opportunities for their learning and growth.

Let’s say one of your kids failed a test at school because they didn’t study for it. Instead of getting upset and disciplining them, you can turn this into a teaching moment. 

Sit down and talk about why studying and preparation are an important part of success. Set some goals for the next exam they have scheduled so you can help them create productive habits.

Instead of making your children feel bad about their failures, help them learn and grow from them. This will also help your kids stop making the same mistakes over and over again.

Moreover, they will establish a solution-seeking combined with a growth mindset. They would want to learn new things from every failure and mistake of their life. And this mindset is necessary to build a strong and sustainable character in a kid. 

Prioritizing Yourself

An underrated aspect of parenting is taking care of yourself. Parenting is exhausting work both physically and mentally. While the labor is well worth it, prioritizing your own physical and mental health is just as important. 

If you’re not scheduling time for yourself, you can get burned out or overly stressed. 

This may cause you to lose patience more easily or default to bad parenting decisions. 

It’s ok to need personal time to unwind, even if it’s challenging to get that time. A few minutes spent with a meditation app like Calm or Unplug might allow you to regain your Zen.

Try going on dates with your spouse without the kids or going out with friends once a month. Even spending time alone while your kids are in bed can help you keep your sanity. 

Don’t feel guilty for arranging the time for yourself because it will enable you to be a better parent ahead. 

Conclusion:

Above all else, don’t get discouraged when parenting gets tough. What makes a good parent is a perseverance and love for your children, no matter how challenging the job can be.

So, we hope that you learned something important from the above-listed aspects on how to overcome 5 parenting challenges. 

If you need more advice, you can keep following this page. We constantly update information about parenting and motherhood issues often.