Parents have to learn, virtually from scratch, a range of new skills — and they have to get it as close to right as possible the first time. Relatively simple tasks such as chaning [tag-ice]diapers[/tag-ice] rapidly gives way to complex medical conundrums. Educating a child, both intellectually and ethically, not to mention choosing among formal education alternatives, is a serious and difficult process.
Dealing with divorce and single-parenthood, safety, emotional well-being and a spectrum of practical and value situations can tax the best parents. These, and many more situations, often offer puzzles to solve that have inherently mixed practical, psychological and ethical dimensions.
Mix in the elements of [tag-tec]grandparents[/tag-tec], media reports and ‘expert advice’, educators’ views, other children and many other outside influences – both on the parents and the child – and you have one hellishly difficult stew to filter.
Parents who successfully negotiate the maze often have some basic characteristics in common.
Parents with the ability to view life’s challenges with a sense of confidence and resiliency go a long way toward instilling those characteristics in their children. Those who show respect toward spouses – and their children – help grow that quality in the child in two ways. It helps grow self-respect in the child and leads the child to a proper respect for the rights and value of others.
Parents who early on demonstrate a sense of fair play when deciding among competing claims give children a good foundation in many ways. The child benefits from the justice shown toward their valid concerns, while at the same time getting the proper view that becomes valuable in later life.
Along with these values, parents who demonstrate the willingness to devote time to listening and sharing experiences establish a foundation of life-long trust and love.
Life doesn’t always reward good behavior. But, fortunately, all the effort made to be a good parent pays off in a hundred ways. Raising children well is a tremendous source of pride and joy, and rightly so. Helping provide the skills – intellectual, emotional, ethical and social – needed to thrive in an increasingly complex society rewards parents many times over.
Parents are right to enjoy both the practical results of their efforts and the deep emotional satisfaction that comes from the process and the outcome. Few ‘careers’ consistently offer such high dividends for a ‘job well done’ as [tag-cat]parenting[/tag-cat]. It is a career we do not for ourselves but for your children so they will grow up to be happy and loving individuals. So when things seems tough and hard, remember the lives we are touching. Our children are our most precious gift to the world, and I could not think of another job or responsibility that I would work so hard and approach with so much love.
Why is parenting considered one of the hardest jobs in the world?
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No other role lasts as long, requires as large an investment of time and money, or carries more uncertainty about the outcome. The emotional stakes are higher, the complexity of decisions is greater, and parents have to learn entirely new skills — from diapering to ethical guidance — while getting it as close to right as possible the first time.
What do successful parents have in common?
Parents who navigate the challenge well tend to share a few characteristics: they approach life’s difficulties with confidence and resiliency, they show genuine respect for their spouse and their children, they demonstrate fair play when resolving competing claims, and they make time to listen and share experiences — which builds a foundation of lifelong trust and love.
How do parents develop parenting skills with no instruction manual?
There is no single manual, which is part of what makes it so hard. Parents learn virtually from scratch, leaning on instinct, family members, and professionals when specific situations feel overwhelming. The key is flexibility — the willingness to adapt approaches as the child matures and becomes more independent.
Is all the hard work of parenting actually worth it?
Overwhelmingly yes. Helping a child develop the intellectual, emotional, ethical, and social skills needed to thrive rewards parents many times over. Raising children well is one of the most consistent sources of deep pride and joy life offers — and those dividends keep compounding long after the hardest years pass.
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