4 Habits of Highly Successful Parents

4 Habits of Highly Successful Parents

4 Habits of Highly Successful Parents

Parenthood comes with more than a fair share of added obstacles, challenges, and opportunities for error as you navigate your child’s growth and development. Alongside your little one’s growth, you are also learning how to parent, prioritize your own wellbeing, and stay sane all at once. The good news? Well, where do we start? 

Since you’re here, reading this, we’re willing to bet you’re already plugged into a community of like minded parents who are also just doing their best and figuring things out along the way. You’re not alone in the uncharted territory of parenthood and if you look at the world around you, you’ll find yourself inspired by the sheer number of other parents who once felt intimidated, but now happily embrace the magical chaos that comes with raising little rebels. 

We’ve compiled our list of 4 habits of highly successful parents with the hopes of serving up some inspiration and guidance for your journey through parenthood. These habits aren’t an official rulebook for success, everyone has their own boundaries and guidelines that they follow, so don’t feel pressured to implement all of these habits if they aren’t already incorporated into your day-to-day. They can serve as a great starting point for anybody looking to get a better handle on their journey through parenthood, add a bit of structure to their approach, and benefit from an overall less stressful routine. 

Before we dive in, let’s level our expectations by acknowledging that there’s no such thing as a perfect parent - so step one is ensuring that you aren’t striving for an unrealistic outcome. Your family is unique, and always will be! Embracing your uniqueness is a great place to start. 

  1. Start on the Same Page

One of the best ways to eliminate friction in your life at home is to have frequent check-ins with your partner to acknowledge parenting styles and agree on a preferred approach to conflict at home. As your children grow, the challenges you’ll face will evolve. Checking in every so often to discuss how you plan to address conflict with your child, manage tantrums, and set boundaries as a family will help you and your partner by creating a united front. This can eliminate conflict down the road by limiting opportunities for opposing management of conflicts.

  1. Create a Safe Space for Communication

As your children grow and develop, so will their ability to communicate with you, and while it’s certainly nice to finally be able to understand your young one, these developments can also cause frustration as a family. Creating a safe space with open lines of communication is a great way to foster clarity at home. Setting aside time - like weekly check ins or dinner time traditions - to open up the floor for transparency and honesty is a great way to help keep communication clear across the entirety of your family unit. In the long run, this can help cut down on conflict similarly to tip #1.  

  1. Mindfulness Matters

It’s no secret that the stress of parenthood can wear on you. As an individual, it’s crucial to your mental health that you schedule time for mindfulness and meditation as frequently as fits your schedule. Dedicated mindfulness time can come in many different forms. For some, it means exercise (running, yoga, etc.). For others, it means journaling, or meditating with a hot cup of tea by the fire. However mindfulness looks for you, we urge you to prioritize this time at least once a week to maintain your mental health and wellbeing.

  1. Spend Time Away - Together or Separately 

If you haven’t picked up on it yet, it’s clear that some of the best habits you can create as a parent involve scheduling dedicated time to check in, communicate, and even spend time away. If it’s been a while since you’ve had more than a few hours away from your little one(s), this tip is for you. Healthy stints of separation are one of the greatest ways you can prioritize your wellbeing as a parent. It doesn’t have to be a vacation, per se, but a weekend away (solo or as a couple) can help you recharge and return feeling refreshed and energized.

If these four habits feel a little bit overwhelming to incorporate all at once, it’s perfectly okay to start small. Find bite sized versions of these habits that you can add to each day or week to make them a little less overwhelming. Parenthood can feel like an endless uphill battle, but creating a structure that works for you, your partner, and your kids is an incredible way to navigate from the driver’s seat. What habits do you rely on to maintain your mindfulness as a parent? Follow along with us on Instagram and send us a DM @lessymessy to tell us about your favorite habits.