5 PARENTING CHALLENGES FACED TODAY AND SOLUTIONS

Being a GOOD parent is perhaps the most difficult endeavor a person can take. 

It is no longer about you and your needs only. 

You have a human being whose future depends solely on you during their primitive years.

Parenting Challenges in the 21st century have evolved to be more complicated, sometimes OVERLY COMPLICATED, than our past generations. 

The constant demands, pressures, and expectations can leave parents confused and emotionally exhausted from raising their children as best as they can. 

Here are 5 Parenting Challenges Faced Today as well as some possible solutions you may want to try. 

1. Trying to Find the Perfect “Parenting Style”

Problem:  As parents we are constantly trying to find the perfect parenting style.

We read the latest research article, see what other parents are doing, take advice from our healthcare professionals, scour the internet for every parenting problem we have, and we sometimes end up more confused than when we started.

We almost subconsciously believe that if we don’t do everything “right”, our kids might end up “messed up” or not achieve their full potential and blame ourselves as the culprit. 

Parenting now is harder than it was for our past generations.

As mentioned in our Parental Burnout post, a 42 Country Study by Isabelle Roskam and her colleagues attributed Parental Burnout to the fact that parental “standards” have increased exponentially within the past 50 years. 

Solution: Let go. 

Don’t overcomplicate raising children.

While this may be easier said than done, (as we will always overcomplicate it) just remind yourself that as long as you are trying your best to be truly present, connect with your child  and give them the best you can, they will be ok.

Kids simply need to know they are loved.

A child truly feeling they are loved goes a long way. We aren’t saying don’t try to be a better parent, we are simply saying don’t drive yourself crazy trying to be the PERFECT PARENT. 

2. Quality Time Constraints 

Problem:  Running around from work, to home errands, to taking the kids to school and their activities, sometimes leaves us exhausted as parents, and makes quality time with our kids difficult.

Add to that a parent’s career, their own emotional needs, the rest of their extended family’s needs, and quality time slowly becomes non existent. 

Solution: SCHEDULE QUALITY TIME

Even though I know I am busy with different work hours during the week and other personal matters, I make it a point to spend some time with my kids EVERYDAY.

Even if it is 20 minutes in the morning, or 20 minutes after school. I try to my best to be present for those 20 minutes and connect with them.

Then on my days off, I literally schedule activities, or simply my day around spending the most time I can with them.  

Scheduling your day or week might sound mundane, but it works and keeps you on track especially when it comes to making sure you don’t let quality time with your kids slip away. 

3. Helping them becoming self confident and dependent 

Problem: Making sure our kids stand up for themselves while still being kind and helping others is not always easy with young kids.

The lines between saying “no” to other kids and being “mean” get blurred easily. The constant pressure to “share” or “play nice” is sometimes way too overrated. 

Solution: Kids don’t always have to share. If they have something special, something new, they don’t always have to give it to the kid on the playground to “be nice”.

Do you let people use your new gadgets and toys all the time? No. So why force your kids to constantly “share” ?

Listen, we aren’t saying sharing isn’t “important”.

We are simply saying there is a time to share and there are times when it is ok to keep things you value to yourself.

There are also other ways to teach your kids to “share”. 

Research has found that forcing kids to share doesn’t help them “learn to share”. Letting them share at their will (with a little guidance) will help them share and be more generous people in the future. 

Don’t follow the crowd when it comes to raising your kids. 

Besides that small example, to make sure your kids grow up confident in their abilities, themselves,and respect others, we recommend reading our post on why you should respect your kids.

Respecting your kids will help them understand what respect is, how to respect others and most importantly how to respect themselves. 

4. Providing for them and their future

Problem: On top of trying our best to squeeze in quality time with our kids,  run our careers, our homes, and make financials ends meet to sustain our way of life, we also have to think about our kids’ futures…more specifically their financial futures.

This can bring on worries and stress, especially when we “hear” what other parents are doing for their kids. 

Solution:  Do the best you can but do something.

Always save for your kids, monthly. It can be anything you can contribute to their savings, but give something.

Make it a bill. Even if it is $25 a month into their account monthly, do it. If you continue this habit, and put more when you can consistently, it will add up. 

Take all their birthday money and put it into their account. 

Once you have a habit of saving for your kids look for different ways to help their money grow.

Something as simple as a certificate of deposit in a bank can give your kid’s money some interest. If you are feeling more adventurous you can try putting some of their money in the stock market in the form of index funds which have been shown to safely grow your money over the long run. 

Whatever you choose the main constant is: SAVE EVERY MONTH, WHATEVER YOU CAN CONTRIBUTE. 

5. Being their role model 

Problem: It’s hard to model exemplary behavior for your kids when you can’t be your own role model sometimes. 

We aren’t perfect and our kids will notice that.

We don’t want them yelling, yet we end up yelling. We don’t want them doing certain behaviors, but yet they catch us doing that forbidden behavior. Showing examples to your kids on how to carry themselves in life isn’t always easy. 

Solution:  Work on yourself. 

When you work on yourself, whether it be mentally, emotionally, or physically you become better not only for yourself, but for the ones you love as well. 

Focus on just becoming a better person, and pay attention to how you treat people in front of your children. Whether you are at a restaurant or handling a business transaction with your kids around, always remember that even when you think they aren’t listening, they are. 

This is a big part of Parenting and Dumbbells.

It is helping parents be better themselves, so they can be better for others and their children. A big way to improve yourself not only physically, but mentally, is staying fit as a parent.

Physical fitness will improve more than your physical stamina, it will keep you healthy for your children, reduce stress and anxiety, and make you feel good about yourself, which will help you be better to your family.

In conclusion, many of the parenting challenges parents face in the 21st century can be resolved by two actions under our control: love and work. Always show love, not only through your words, but through your actions towards your kids and others.  Always work towards bettering yourself and your kids without the added superficial and external pressure. Just do the best YOU can.