15 Parenting Tips for K-5 Students

I hope this list of tips will be helpful! Feel free to share it with others!

1. Pray for your child(ren)

   1. For health, safety, and age-appropriate physical, academic, spiritual, and emotional growth

   2. Good relationships (teachers, classmates, friends, neighbors, other adults, etc.)

   3. Personal encounter with God
      

2. Positive Parenting

   1. Focus on the child’s strengths

   2. Areas of improvement (weaknesses) must be addressed but should not become the main focus; address enough to make sure weaknesses do not become hindrances in learning and/or developing relationships

   3. Be firm but not punitive or overly critical

   4. Don’t over reward or compensate your “guilt” with undeserving gifts
      

3. Prevent Tantrums or Emotional Outbursts

   1. Prevent problems by proactively communicating expectations and consequences

   2. Do not “baby” the child--be firm yet kind

   3. Crying and emotional outbursts are ways that children use to get what they want

   4. Do plan for “down-time”: allow the child to unwind, relax, and recharge

   5. Check your (parent’s) emotional state before disciplining
      

4. Parents Need to be Healthy, too!

   1. Stress can make parenting difficult--your own well-being is critical to positive parenting

   2. Communication between the dad and mom are very, very important

   3. Seek help and take advantage of available resources (grandparents, relatives, church groups, paid activities such as martial arts or gymnastics, etc.)

   4. Do not be a family that does everything around the child’s need: be sure to have “parent” or “me” or “family” time so that you can be a healthy parent
      

5. Peace at Home

   1. Home should be a haven for young children (and adults!)

   2. Cut out needless battles (reflect on what’s working and what’s not working at home)

   3. Learn from past confrontations: figure out what your child responds to (or don’t respond well to)

   4. Don’t be too busy, running from one activity to another
      

6. Plan for Success

   1. Read good parenting books

   2. Integrate useful tips and advice

   3. Prepare for parenting success--don’t try to “wing it”

   4. Learn from past “failures” and “successes”
      

7. Perspective on Parenting

   1. A long-term perspective is needed--do not dwell too much on momentary crisis

   2. Step back often and see things from God’s perspective

   3. Treat your child as if he/she were your nephew/niece--that will make things simpler, manageable, and less stressful
      

8. Punishment or Discipline?

   1. What is the difference between punishment and discipline?

   2. Outward change vs. Inward Change

   3. Momentary avoidance of pain vs. long-term self-regulation
      

9. Pride vs. “Proud of”

   1. Sometimes, parents try too hard to showcase their child as a perfect being, but what is the motivation behind it?

   2. Parents derive vicarious satisfaction through the praises their children receive

   3. Be proud of the child, but check your pride to appear as a perfect parent
      

10. Pay Attention to Your Child

    1. Some parents are too busy

    2. Pay close attention to your child’s innate tendencies or characters

    3. Probe into your child’s life and mind--ask smart questions that require more than just “Yes,” or “No”

    4. Learn their love language (see:https://www.5lovelanguages.com/profile/children/)
       

11. Pops Need to Step Up

    1. Dads need to “step up” and “step in”, not “step aside”

    2. As children become more opinionated and even confrontational, dads have the unique role to be the “referee” at home

    3. Moms need to gradually step aside and invite dads to take the helm
       

12. Plain and Simple Answers

    1. Do not over-explain your decisions to children: sometimes, “Because I said so,” is a perfectly fine answer

    2. There are certain questions that require explanations, but keep in mind that you are not obligated to explain or get “approval” from your child(ren)
       

13. Peer Relations

    1. Encourage your children to make/maintain friends

    2. Don’t overly force them to have friends if your child is an introvert--but everyone needs friends

    3. Friends change, so don’t manipulate friendships to last long (or short)
       

14. Passion and Compassion

    1. Find out what your child is passionate about

    2. Equally important to one’s passion is developing a sense of compassion toward others and humanity in general

    3. Provide opportunities for children to have “awe-filled” experiences
       

15. Patience for Sassiness

    1. What happened to my angel? Why is she so sassy?

    2. Why are boys showing anger and frustration, and even defiance?

    3. Don’t blame friends or school or surroundings too quickly--your child is changing and growing up

    4. Don’t lose your cool--be the adult in the room/situation