Parenting is the most satisfying and fulfilling experience in the world. However, for working moms and dads, handling professionals and personal responsibilities as a parent become very challenging. Immediate work or family emergencies make it even trickier to balance their lives. As a matter of fact, most Singaporean working parents, especially working mothers, fight battles while managing their work and family. This is where parenting counselling in Singapore can help you.
Parenting is not easy as it sounds. You are responsible for turning your lovely child into a healthy, happy and mindful individual. It’s your duty to make him a better person with strong morals, values and ethics. Not just that, you have to take care of your child’s physical, social, mental and emotional aspects of his life. But if you’re a working parent, you may find it difficult to manage your professional and personal life. The biggest problem with working parents is, they fail to give enough time to their kids.
This is the main reason why they become strangers to their own kids. In simple words, their bond gets weaker and weaker. In such situations, it’s always better to look for parenting counselling in Singapore. The expert parenting counsellors help to establish a stronger and deeper bond with your kids without giving up on your professional life. You can learn more about the best parental counselling here.
Be involved in your child’s life
The working culture in Singapore is such that people focus more on their jobs and less on their families and personal life. It doesn’t matter if you’re a working parent or not, you should always be there for your kids. Not just physically, but you should be there when your child needs any kind of mental and emotional support. And it doesn’t mean you should sacrifice your career or work life. You can stay aware of your kid’s life by spending some quality time with them. Talk to them daily about what they are going through and if there’s anything they want to share with you. You should encourage your kids to share each and everything with you. And being involved in a child’s life doesn’t mean you have to take part in their homework or any project, it means you should be there when they need you.
Decide some self-discipline rules
According to the expert parenting counsellors in Singapore, if you could teach only one thing to your child, teach them self-discipline. This can be done by setting and establishing rules. Again, this doesn’t mean you should restrict your child and become over protective. Self-discipline can only be taught by making your kid understand his boundaries.
Take care of your child’s independence
When your child learns to control himself, you have to learn to foster his independence. Thankfully, the environment in Singapore is safe for kids. They can enjoy their liberty without putting their lives at risk. Still,the biggest problem of working parents is, they tend to become very strict with their kids. When you don’t allow them to meet new people and make their own decisions, which results in negative impacts. In such situations, kids lose faith in their parents and start making wrong life choices. This is what experts suggest during parenting counselling Singapore.
Respect their privacy
Not just in Singapore, kids all around the world need privacy. And invading their personal space is no less than an attack. When kids reach a certain age, they start having their own lives and their own secrets. Sometimes, there are things they don’t want to share with their parents and that’s totally fine as long as your child understands the difference between what’s wrong and what’s right. In no way you should invade their privacy by spying on them or checking their messages and tapping their phone calls. This can completely ruin your bond with your child.
Trust them
If you want your child to trust you, then trust them. This will encourage your child to take the right paths and make better decisions in life. Whether you’re there or not, they will always stay on the right path.
Prioritise your child
Generally, people in Singapore give more importance to their jobs and career. No doubt, a job is important, but your child should be your priority. You’re the one who has introduced them to this world and it’s your responsibility to make them a better human. So, learn to manage your work and personal life and don’t mix both.
Spend time together and communicate
Last but not the least, spend quality time with your child and communicate in and out.Thankfully, many companies in Singapore offer some sort of flexibility to working parents. The main priority on your weekends should be knowing how your child’s week went and what they are doing in their life. Try to know and understand their state of mind and provide enough support and help.
Takeaway
Singapore is a country with an increasing population of working parents. Here, most parents rely on house help for taking care of their children while they’re at work. While house helps and care takers can take care of the basic needs of your child, they can’t really provide the mental and emotional support they need. These few tips will help you strengthen your bond with your child. But if you’re struggling to bond with your child due to your professional life, then it is the right time you should consider taking parenting counselling in Singapore. The professional counsellors will help you by identifying your problems and offering the right guidance accordingly.
Tommy Williamson did his degree in psychology at the University of Edinburgh. He has an ongoing interest in mental health and well-being.
