10 Worst Parenting Mistakes To Avoid

By Ananta Sharma

Since parenting is an art that cannot be taught but is self learned, mistakes are ought to happen. However, it is important to control the mistakes before they prove dangerous enough to impact a child’s upbringing negatively.

So to the parents who are thinking that they are raising their kid really well but are actually unknowingly troubling his/her little brain, we bring a set of ten worst parenting mistakes that they must avoid at any cost.

10 Worst Parenting Mistakes To Avoid

Ten biggest parenting mistakes are as follows!

ALSO SEE: Parenting Challenges For Working Couples

Do Not Praise Them Only At Their Success
If you praise your kids only when they succeed at something, then they turn out to be anxious perfectionist who would not settle for anything but best. Instead of praising your kids only when they succeed, motivate them to try and handle any setbacks that come their way.

Giving Vague Compliments
Biggest parenting mistake is giving vague compliments to your kids. Hearing “nice work” for everything good that your kids do, will make them forget the specific thing you like the most. Praising in detail motivates them to do better.

Pointing Out Mistakes Every-time
Picking out your kids’ mistakes without positive encouragement is the worst parenting mistake. If your kids are made to feel that anything or everything they do is a mistake, they will stop seeking parents’ advice.

Comparing Your Kids
Find faith in your child’s capabilities and feel proud of your kid. By comparing your kid with his/her topper classmate, you are committing one of the worst parenting mistakes. Your kid will soon start to feel worthless and may even start comparing you with his/her friends’ parents!

Ignoring Child’s School Life
Another worst parenting mistake is ignoring your child’s schooling. Your kids should know that their parents are not detached from their schooling. Stay involved in your kids' schooling as it is the most important phase of their growing up years.

Discouraging Comments
Giving discouraging comments like my kids’ are worthless/menace/shame, or, they cannot achieve anything in life are one of the biggest parenting mistakes any parents’ can ever make. When you as a grown up can’t hear such words, imagine what your little kids’ hearts must be suffering listening to such harsh words in their growing up years.

High Expectations
When you know your kids are bright you end up keeping unrealistically high expectations of them, committing yet another worst parenting mistake. Motivate them to do good work of their own choice and only then can your kids and you, both sustain harmony.

Being Overly Protective

In adolescent years of your kids, you need to be protective but in friendly ways because that is the age when your children can either become your best friends or can turn their backs at you. Be friendly, supportive and understand the changes they are going through.

Preaching Without Practicing
When inculcating good values in your kids, you need to make sure that you don’t only preach them to your kids but also practice them in your ways. If you want your kids to be non-smokers, don’t just tell them about the ill effects, be a non-smoker too!

Making Them Scared
The worst parenting mistake is letting kid’s give up when things get difficult for them to handle. It is your insecure mind that is curbing them from becoming brave.

Story first published: Saturday, March 8, 2014, 15:55 [IST]
Read more about: parenting tips