Parenting is the most rewarding job, yet it can be the most challenging job in the world, do you agree?

Do you agree that parenting is the most rewarding job in the world?

Remember the children’s smiles? Their hugs? Your children’s arms around your body? When they ran towards you when they saw you? Their first words? When they called you Dad and Mum?

Do you remember when they started preschool, primary school and then high school? Their school performances, the assignments, the excursions, the exams?

The birthdays, mother’s days, father’s days, and holidays?

How precious are those memories?

How precious was your children and family time?

So why do we say parenting can be the most challenging job in the world?

Let’s explore a few scenarios; think about the following questions and answer them truthfully. You can write them down in your journal or just think about them.

  • How’s your relationship with your children right now?
  • How connected or bonded are you with your children?
  • What is your parenting paradigm? Is it healthy? Is your parenting model relevant in the current environment?
  • Are you lacking some life skills to cope with your emotional well-being as well as physical tiredness?
  • How’s your belief system?
  • What are your values?
  • What are your needs? Are they being met?

In order to raise a happy family, you, as the parent, need to be happy. This is because your children mirror your emotions, your energy and your habits.

If your parenting paradigm is based on outdated models, i.e. physical punishment, verbal abuse, emotional manipulation such as being judgmental, then shaming and guilt become part of your disciplining…

Your needs also matter. Do you neglect your own needs and put everyone’s needs first? If you do, you will feel tired, lack time to take care of your own needs, and soon… resentment will creep in.

Or are you lacking some life skills on how to manage your own emotional needs? Like learning to say NO, or knowing how to organise your time. Do you know how to handle your emotional outburst when your emotions are triggered by your children?

All of the above factors can cause unhappiness, feeling emotionally challenged, stress, anxiousness, sadness, anger, frustration and all other low frequency emotions. And at the end of the day, your unhappiness will be reflected in your children’s emotional well-being and their behaviour. The circle progresses, as when you live with an angry, unhappy, frustrated child, parenting become challenging.

Parenting can be the best and the most rewarding job in the world, but it has to start with YOU!

How would you like your family to be?

It all start with awareness and love yourself!