Raising mentally strong children is no easy task and not everyone is able to do it. The easiest way to identify how the previous generation failed at this is to take a look at your social media following. For starters, look at your Facebook news feed and note how many sad posts you see which is mostly an indicator of how mentally weak the sharer of the posts are. This doesn’t necessarily have to mean that it is due to weak upbringing, but rather bad experiences they face in life. However, raising them to be mentally strong ensures you that they will be able to face any kind of difficulties in life and prepares them for adulthood.
1. Don’t spoil them too much
Some parents feel like they are obliged to get their child everything they need. That is a huge misconception. Children are demanding and usually ask for irrelevant things. If you buy them everything they demand, it could make them irresponsible and an impulsive buyer who wastes money in the future. This is definitely not how any parent would want their child to turn out. To avoid this, learn how to say no when your child demands for things and buy them things within your budget and don’t go overboard.
2. Don’t instill a victim mentality in them
Make sure your child understands that they aren’t always a victim. Instead of doting on them when they do something wrong or don’t achieve what they want, make sure that you instill the right mentality in them. Let them make mistakes. When the teachers call you saying your child is making trouble, don’t find a way to blame the teachers since this gives off an entirely wrong message to the child. This is very commonly seen in Maldivian mothers and needs to be stopped at once.
3. Don’t give your child power over yourself
Don’t let your child dictate how you should do things. Of course, listening to your child is extremely necessary but don’t let them have any power over you as this could make your child arrogant and maybe instill a bully like personality in them. Instead of that, without being too dominant, make them understand that they may be growing up but they can never grow older than their parents.
4. Don’t make your child avoid responsibilities
It’s so common to see some parents making sure that they do everything necessary for their child just so that they don’t have to do anything, This is wrong, and mentally strong parents avoid doing this. Assign them responsibilities fitting their age group and observe them to make sure they complete them. Ensure that they do not become lazy and become responsible citizen who will take their personal responsibilities seriously.
5. Don’t take shortcuts to avoid discomfort
Some parents don’t like burdening their children with work and usually do it for them when they complain saying it’s too much and that they aren’t able to do them. Instead of doing it for them, teach them the way to do it. If they find it too difficult, encourage them with words to help them finish it rather than making them completely void of the duty. This makes them understand that though things aren’t easy, they need to try harder to achieve their desired goals and is an excellent quality to imprint in a child’s mind to make them mentally strong individuals.
6. Keep your values in sight
Today’s world is busy and is a mixture of cultures and kids are exposed to large part of it. However, mentally strong parents make sure that children follow their values. It is an unfortunate sight that many Maldivian parents forget that our mother tongue is Dhivehi. Yes, it is up to the parents how they bring up their children, but don’t let them forget their originality. Teach your children your values so that they can pass them on to the next generation. Do your part and don’t let the ethics die.
Bringing up a mentally strong child requires mentally strong parents. It is no easy job, but perseverance and hard work will give you the results you desire. Prepare your child for the harsh world in a harsh way. If they are too soft, they won’t survive it and that could end up in scarring them for life.
