On my last trip home, I indulged in the most decadent 7-course meal. It had dishes that were perfectly cooked and served. I am talking about an imaginary meal that was ‘cooked up’ by my 3-year-old twin nieces for me.

A perfect meal, with no calories.

Much like being an Aunt. The perfect relationship, where you get to cuddle, love and be part of your sibling’s children lives without the addition of the day to day responsibility that parenthood brings.

Being a parent is a tough and probably the only role where you ‘learn on the job’. It does not come with a manual and it is lifelong of trial and error. It helps to have family around, to chip in when they can and in whatever manner they can.

I am not a parent. Not being one sometimes gives me a ringside view that Parents may lack. So here are 5 Parenting tips that I, as an Aunt and as an observer, share with you.

Let children get bored: Allow your children to get bored, as boredom is a trigger for thinking, for imagining and for discovery. Don’t pack them into multiple classes, for the sake of keeping them occupied or away. Let them have time to do nothing so that their fertile minds could think of ways to utilise it. Recipe for disaster? Not if you nudge their thinking or imagination a little.

Let children ask questions: And as exasperating as it may be to be on the receiving end, answer them. Asking questions and having them answered by a parent or parents is an important base for setting up a bond with your child. A bond of communication, of trust and of getting the right information. Children are curious, if you don’t answer them they go to someone else and that someone else may not always give them the right information.

Make children do chores: Children who are waited upon and spoilt grow up to be lazy and spoilt adults. Doing chores creates empathy and of course, learning. When a child is allowed to sit and order people around it is a habit that would continue. Teaching your children to do chores around the house or run small errands for you will be a big help to you, and will help children become self-sufficient and empathetic. They are sure to thank you for it later.

Teach children the value of money: Giving a child unlimited amounts of money or being miserly with it are both not right. Spending unrealistically, to keep up with friends and family, gives them a wrong idea about money too. When children are old enough, give them small weekly allowances, and ask them to stick to that amount, so that they learn the value of it. At the same time do not discuss debts and other financial issues you may have with your children.

Stop ruing about the good old days:  Your children will not be like you were as a child. Times have changed, things have changed, life has changed and circumstances have changed. With more exposure, more gadgets and more awareness children are smarter, quicker and more intelligent than we probably were, and it is unfair to expect a child of today to grow at the pace you did. Learn through your child and grow with them instead, it’s a win-win situation.

I may not be a parent but I have been a child. I believe children do not learn what you tell them, but they learn from observing what you do. Which is why it is important to pay attention to your actions more than you do to your words. Those little eyes are watching and that blank slate of a mind is filing all the information away.

It is a first ever guest blog post on my blog. I wanted to introduce some new things on my blog this month. I am happy to have Mayuri on my blog to help me celebrate my blog’s first anniversary.

About the lovely author- 

Aunt

Mayuri Nidigallu is Tarot Card Reader by profession and a Writer by design. Since she is already aware of what the future holds, she enjoys unwrapping the present.

You could read more of her at Sirimiri – The Lifestyle Blogazine. http://sirimiri.in/

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Twitter- https://twitter.com/Mayuri6

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