Help With Raising Children and Parenting Tips
What kind of a parent are you?
Written by: Michelle Shelton
Web Site: keys2kids
You are responsible for your children’s health in many different
forms, spiritual, physical, mental, emotional and behavioral. As
parents, we have to cover a lot of ground and not get too caught
up in the total protection of our children at all times. On the
other hand you don’t want to neglect your children and expose
them to unnecessary dangers either. You know, being a parent is
hard work and it is a fine line that we must walk all the time.
Different people handle situations differently. When your child
is facing a problem how do you handle the situation? Do you
consider yourself sympathetic to their problems? If so, you may
be a sympathetic parent or you may be an empathetic parent. Do
you know the difference between empathetic and sympathetic? Most
of us probably have not given it a lot of thought. Allow me to
explain the difference and than decide if you are a sympathetic
parent or an empathetic parent. One of these is very damaging to
your children. Do you know which one?
Think about this, if your child fell into an old abandon well and
you heard his cries, you would naturally run to the well and peer
in. Your child would be very frightened in the dark and he may be
injured, he could even die! As a good parent you of course want
to help your child right away.
Now, if you are sympathetic you share the exact same feelings as
your child. You are frightened and you can easily become
traumatized when you look at the situation as a whole. As a
matter of fact, a sympathetic parent would jump right into that
well with the child and become part of the problem! Now there are
two people in the well suffering with little hope. This is not a
good way to be and it stems from parenting with your emotions. It
produces children that are very dependent and insecure. They
don’t learn effective problem solving and as they get older their
lessons are severe because they tend to make decisions on their
emotions.
An empathetic parent on the other hand, understands how the child
must be extremely frightened and knows that the child might be
injured and could die if something is not done quickly. As a
matter of fact, an empathetic parent would look around and decide
the fastest and most efficient way to get the child out of the
well. An empathetic parent does not become part of the child’s
problem; he becomes part of the solution. This is a great way to
parent. When you become part of the solution for your children
and you will become a partner in problem solving, a teacher, a
mentor, a friend.
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