Posted on 30th May, 2021
Maintaining a healthy and happy parent-child relationship can prove to be quite tricky. Keeping the right balance between your child's desired freedom and the protection you want to offer them is key to achieving a higher level of understanding between each other. The world is becoming less safe every day, so it is understandable to want to protect your children from harm. But, overprotecting them can be just as bad as not protecting them enough.
In the long run, overprotecting your child will not only weaken your relationship with them but can also undermine their development towards adulthood. Here are a few advices that have worked in the past, for people that came to me seeking guidance in improving their parent-child relationships:
It is perfectly fine to intervene in a social situation that is getting out of hand to protect your child but if you always intervene if they are having a disagreement with another child they will have troubles in learning how to handle difficult social situations by themselves and will always rely on you to help them. My advice is to teach your child the basics of social interactions and have faith in their instincts. It doesn't hurt if you ask Spirit to protect them, for you to feel even safer.
Better than always watching your child and warning them when a certain situation seems risky to you, try to teach them how to handle likely risky scenarios and what to do in seemingly dangerous situations. As they grow older they will be able to handle risky situations if they should occur.
Setting boundaries is another important aspect of a healthy parent-child relationship. You should clearly communicate to your child the reasons behind each boundary you set so that they understand it's for their own sake. When it comes to privacy, you should try to not be too invasive. Show interest in their activities but don't be pushy. Wait for them to tell you the more personal stories rather than asking them too many questions and make them uncomfortable.
Children feel great when they get to choose something by themselves. It shows them that you trust them and it is a great way for them to begin learning to be responsible. For example, you can give them complete control over their bedroom. They will soon learn that not doing the laundry means not having clean clothes.
This can include things like the subjects they take at school, further study, staying out late, etc. They are more likely to honor decisions they helped make and this will give them a sense of control over their lives.
Open communication is key in any relationship and can strengthen a relationship more than you might imagine. Try to communicate as much as your child feels comfortable and let them know that you are there for them, even if they did something wrong. Encourage them to tell you when they make mistakes and let them know they will not be punished if they are being honest about everything.
Being in touch with the divine guidance Spirit offers can be helpful for your child's harmonious development. Avoid being too religious as that can drive them away but do teach them about the Holy Spirit and Divine protection.
Teach them to ask the angels/Holy Spirit for protection any time they feel like they need help. In this way you can be more relaxed when they are out on their own, knowing that they will be protected.