WELL PARENT | Imperfect Parenting

Is there anyone else out there who is a complete nerd when it comes to parenting? Or is it just me? (Just kidding, I know I'm not alone)

For years I geeked out on parenting books, listened to podcasts and read blogs, in the hope that I would be the 'best' parent I could be without damaging my kids along the way.

There was one problem. I am human. 

I was left wondering why the kids still weren’t cooperating, weren't listening, and why I would still lose my crap at them, even though I had so much 'knowledge'.

And then I would feel trapped in the endless cycle of being a ‘bad’ parent.

When we are faced with stress, our own stress levels rise, and in that state we lose all rationality and control. It’s not just you. It’s all of us. 

So the question is, how can you be a ‘good’ parent when you have all this misbehavior to deal with?

Here’s the truth. Unless you are some type of Mother Theresa or super yogi you experience the same responses to stress as the rest of us, and that’s to yell, to nag, to get angry sometimes.

So you can all take a big sigh of relief because the perfect parent doesn’t exist. And thank goodness for that.

Being imperfect allows us to model that it’s okay to make mistakes, and how to REPAIR the mistake afterwards.

I love positive parenting because it gives us the grace to allow us to be imperfect parents, and teaches us how to deal with the aftermath - like taking responsibility for our own behavior, for apologizing, for reconnecting and for problem-solving to prevent future probems. 

It's important for our kids to see that we are human. It's how we deal with things afterwards that is important and models great relationship skills that will serve them into their adulthood.

Good parenting doesn’t lie in the way you handle tantrums and fights or your own temper.

Parenting is a 'relationship' first, not something we go through to churn out the best human. 

Good parenting lies in the preventative tools that we can use in our home to EMPOWER our kids, and meet their need for SIGNFICANCE and BELONGING.  It's treating them in a way that makes them feel CAPABLE and ENCOURAGED.

It's respecting them, listening to them, connecting with them, working together with them to solve problems and guiding them when they are not on track. 

There is a way to turn all that head knowledge that you’ve been learning over the last few years and turn it into HEART KNOWLEDGE and then ACTION.

Join the WELL PARENT 6 WEEK POSITIVE DISCIPLINE workshop series and you will join other parents who are facing the same challenges. We will use experiential methods to help us get into the world of the child to discover what really works and what doesn’t.

Afterwards, you can continue growing in your parenting with regular group check-in’s, goal-setting and monthly webinars to keep you going strong.

Want to learn more? Come along to the Introductory Workshop on Thursday 8th April, 9:30-11am, at Chez Sois French Bistro, Sanlitun, Beijing (and stay for a coffee and a chat afterwards).

Originally from New Zealand, WellWomen co-founder Rebecca Archer considers herself a global citizen, and has lived in Australia, Canada, Nigeria and Indonesia and spent time in many more countries. Rebecca is a Mom of 3 energetic kids, and is a certified Positive Discipline Parent Educator, offering Positive Discipline classes and online workshops to the expat community. With a diverse background in media, marketing, events and education, Rebecca has written for the World Health Organization, BeijingKids magazine and various educational institutes in Beijing. The founder of the Clothing Auction Network, Rebecca is also passionate about sustainable and ethical approaches to fashion and lifestyle.