Why is a parent-child relationship important?

A parent-child relationship is as important as taking your meals every day. It is important because this is one relationship that the child forms with his or her parents in the early phase of their life. It, therefore, affects their emotional, physical and social attachment development and determines the kind of person the child will grow up to be.

Studies say the stronger the relationship the child has with the parents, the better chances are built for the child to succeed in life.

With the lifestyle we have adopted for ourselves, maintaining a strong parent-child relationship is not even the last thing on the list today. It is hardly brought under focus. But we often forget how important it is for both the parents and their children and budge into normalizing it.

Benefits of having a stronger relationship with your child.

There are untold numbers of benefits to maintaining a strong parent-child relationship. A few of the most important benefits are mentioned below:

1. A healthy parent-child relationship helps the child focus better and secure a better future. A stronger parent-child relationship means a safe and secure place and attachment for a child. Studies and experiments have found that a child fostered in a secure attachment, excels better in life because they become sturdier. The child automatically learns how to face challenges with resilience and bounces back without getting too crushed by something.
2. The child in a healthy parent-child relationship develops high self-esteem and patience. They have lesser behavioural problems and are very compassionate. They even perform well in their academic and co-curricular activities.
3. A stronger relationship with your child creates a healthy environment for the child to develop. As we know, parental behaviour is what the child takes up or at least is bent to mimic in the future. A healthy reflection helps the child develop a healthy sense of personal or social relationships. This caters to developing a positive relationship in future as well which is not violent in any manner.
4. A positive relationship at home is the groundwork for the child’s social and emotional development. A healthy relationship facilitates a healthier development in the child where the child is more compassionate towards others.
5. This also affects the mental health and well-being of the child. Stronger connections with parents help the child to seep into the darker shades of life. It keeps the children from picking up habits and immersing in depressive or problematic symptoms.
6. A healthy Parent-child relationship also helps the child to become confident about themselves and be self-motivated. This is because they know they have supporting parents and they would always support them unconditionally which brings a zeal to do better and more in a child.

What are the problems faced in a parent-child relationship:

Parent-child relationship problems can arise through and for many things. Trivial issues like poor grades in examinations or implementing pressure on the child for them to perform better than most in class, or parental professional frustrations too, instigate a bitter relationship sometimes. Many parents even fail to realize that instead of making the relationship better with their child, they are only damaging it for the worse by reacting to unnecessary things too often. This is when parents turn to the most common advice they find on the internet and when they do not see the desired results promised, they feel that their child is incapable of change or there is something strangely wrong with them. This is again where the parent makes the child feel less about him and either shakes his confidence or adds to making him stubborn.

How Parents can build stronger bridges for their children:

1. Talk: The first and foremost way to make a relationship better or to make it stronger is to talk. You will have to talk about nothing in specific. You may talk to them about their day in general or ask for their opinion on a few of the things you do.
   You should also develop a habit of speaking openly with your child about the problems you are facing with him or her. Discussing problems helps detangle the stress, confusion and frustration regarding arguments and gives closure. This also makes space for understanding each other; hence, it only helps the relationship become stronger.
   Talking also assures the child that he or she can talk to their parents about any problems they face. It helps develop trust and binds the family together.
2. Listen: the parent should be a patent listener as well. They should listen to the child patiently once they are saying something.
   To understand what they are saying, the parent must get on their level to understand. Helping your child by connecting to them in an age-appropriate way is the best way to build a stronger bond with them. this will help the children feel how well you understand and relate to their problems or situations.
   The parent will also have to listen in to their children avoiding all kinds of distractions. Keeping the phone away while talking or listening to your child goes a long way. Only speaking when they finish is also important for these things to make them feel how important they are to you.
3. Help them with their work or studies: To have a stronger relationship with your child, you must be involved in the child’s life enough to make them feel you care about them. help them with their projects or with their homework for instance.
   You can also help them in their extracurricular activities which ultimately is also a way to have fun with them.
   You can also help them find out or discover and explore new things and interests. This will make them fluid about trying different things, make them happy and help them become less apprehensive. This will again strengthen the bond with the parent because the child will understand the support and encouragement he or she will have from the parents in future for them as well.
4. Do fun Activities: The family needs to have a fun time together. Only eating together at dinner cannot be a remedy to fix relationships or make a relationship stronger.
   Only being strict with the child throws a wrong impression on the mind of the child and the child starts fearing you. This must be fixed. The child will have to know that even with a little strictness around, you can have fun with them.
   You may take your child out on play-dates or to a sports game or even watch a movie when free.
5. Be trustworthy: Your child needs to understand that he or she can trust you. Being trustworthy does not always mean you will have to forgive and see past all the wrongs. It means that the child should know that they can rely on you and that you keep your word to them.
   Trust also means respecting your child’s privacy and safeguarding their secrets when they share.
   The basic foundation of a relationship relies on trust and a relationship where there is no mutual respect or trust, is a failed relationship and one should strive to work on it.

A parent-child relationship is a very sacred relationship for every individual. And we often see children drift apart from their parents. A healthier and stronger bond between parents and their children is always desired. Identify the root of the problem and act accordingly. A stronger relationship means a better future for your child.

Career Clinic takes strong measures to help the child connect with the parents more through various counselling sessions where these may be discussed. We take personal care for the child to thrive in life. Career Counselling is the key to many problems students and parents face, even emotionally.

Join hands with Career Clinic to experience and learn how to mend stronger Bridges for our Children to Burgeon better in life.