Why must parents strive to do better?

It can be hard to put being a parent in perspective. More often than not, we are so caught up in our head that we forget to actually sit down and talk with our own kid. In fact, with a never ending to-do list in hand, it can be hard to pull back to see what matters and what doesn’t.

And unfortunately we forget that we ourselves were once children. So what can we do besides taking care of our children being dressed, fed, washed and put to bed?

• Look back on our own childhood — so that we can pass on the good that was done to us and hold back on the less helpful aspects of it.
  
• Focus and talk about feelings — both yours and theirs.
  
• Not fight with our partner in front of our child — their little brains are already dealing with a great many things and because their sense of security is chipped every time they see their support system under stress.
  
• Foster passions that we can enjoy together with our children — whatever they may be.
  
• Take in everything one day at a time — your kids want a happy parent not a tired one. So errands can wait, because you win some, you lose some.