What is Intentional Parenting? It is acting with knowledge and purpose, ensuring that young children acquire the social, emotional and cognitive skills needed to succeed in school and in life.
Intentional Parenting goes beyond love. You can love your children and still create an environment of chaos, disorder, mistrust, shame or confusion.
So, what does a loving and caring parent do?
You can learn 3 key elements practiced by skilled and experienced pre-school teachers:
- Organize your home environment for optimal positive interactions. These strategies encourage your children to learn about the world and their ability to influence it within an orderly and age appropriate structure that is set up for success.
- Learn the supportive language that encourages exploration, sharing and empathy without the messages that they are doing something ‘wrong’ when they throw, hit, dump, orin snatch another’s toy. Use words that convey you are the safe, secure base where they can come back for emotional refueling.
- When challenging situations arise, learn how to recognize the ‘teachable’ moment and begin your own skill set to validate their sense of independence while creating an identity of self in relationship to others.
Parents who become intentional in the way they set up their children’s physical, emotional and cognitive environment find that there are less power struggles, tantrums and need to say, “No.”
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