What Are the Biggest Mistakes Parents Make?

Since parenting can influence a child’s growth and development, learn the eleven common parenting mistakes to help raise kids in the best possible way.

Even though every parent wishes the best for their children, as human beings, people can make mistakes from time to time.

Parenting can influence children’s growth, development, and behavioral characteristics.

Learning to overcome these 11 common parenting mistakes can help you raise your kids in the best possible way.

1. Overestimating or underestimating the problems
   • Before trying to solve the problem, understand if it is a problem or an age-appropriate behavior of your child. If it is a confirmed issue, determine how big or small the problem is.
2. Not trying
   • Many parents endure months or years of frustration living with common problems, such as bedtime battles, frequent night awakenings, temper tantrums, and behavior problems, in older children.
   • With hard work and dedication, most problems a parent faces can be worked through and changed or fixed.
3. Inconsistent behavior
   • Being inconsistent, sometimes very strict, and sometimes not at all caring what your kids are doing, can make them confused about how are they supposed to act or react in certain situations.
4. Have unrealistic expectations
   • It is quite natural to want your child to aim for big goals and be the best at everything, but setting the bar too high can lead to self-esteem and confidence issues later in life.
5. No involvement in the child’s life
   • The consequence of giving a child things, such as leniency, lowered expectations, or material possessions, instead of love and care can often produce a spoiled child.
   • Rearrange your priorities and be there for your child mentally and physically.
6. Not adapting yourself to your child’s need
   • The needs and expectations of children are different as they grow up; not keeping up with your child's development can hamper their behavior.
7. Not setting rules or establishing very hard rules
   • Both ways, either being very obstinate and strict in commandments or being negligent in making appropriate ones can impact your child who can have a hard time learning how to manage themselves.
8. Constantly nagging or intervening
   • Foster your child’s independence by setting limits that help your child develop a sense of self-control and self-direction.
   • Most parents mistakenly equate their child's independence with rebelliousness or disobedience.
9. Enforcing hard discipline
   • Being disciplined through hitting or slapping makes a child more prone to be aggressive and fight with other children.
   • Find out other ways to discipline a child, including time out, which work better and do not involve aggression.
10. Not giving respect to your grown-up child
    • Children often become harsh with words if they do not get courtesies, politeness, and respect for their opinion.
    • The ideal way to get respectful treatment from your child is to treat them respectfully.
11. Not giving their children enough quality time
    • Parents are always busy with their work, jobs around the house, ferrying children to and from activities, checking their phones, and watching TV.
    • Not giving your children enough undivided attention may make them feel neglected and not worthy.

Good parenting helps promote intellectual curiosity, motivation, and desire to achieve.

1. Listen to them carefully
2. Talk to the child
3. Inculcate positive thinking
4. Make them realize you are always there
5. Encourage physical activity
6. Take out time for them
7. Be a role model for them
8. Seek help when needed

Troubled youth may exhibit warning signs in several ways including but not limited to:

1. Irritability
2. Moody
3. Extreme anger or short-tempered
4. Frustration, persistent sadness, worrying
5. Sudden change in behavior
6. Withdrawal of activities that were once enjoyable
7. Trouble sleeping
8. Bedwetting
9. Complaints about school
10. Crying for no valid reason
11. Fearful reactions
12. Talking negative
13. Clinginess
14. Change in eating and sleeping patterns
15. Neglecting studies
16. Getting sick often
17. Failing or lowering grades
18. Self-harming tendency
19. Habitual tobacco, drug, and alcohol use

Common effects of bad parenting include failure to thrive and poor growth and development both physically and mentally. It may make a child more prone to criminal behaviors and can lead to an array of physical and mental health problems.

Physical problems

• Weak immune system
• Obesity
• Cardiovascular disease
• Headaches
• Stomachaches

Mental problems

• Anxiety
• Depression
• Low self-esteem
• Panic attacks
• Always scared or afraid
• Eating disorders
• Impaired concentration
• Poor performance in studies
• Unable to have long-lasting relationships
• New or recurring fears (fear of the dark, being alone, strangers)
• Aggressive or stubborn behavior
• Addictions