Britain’s Best Parenting Advice: Chosen By You!

There’s no denying it, parenting is challenging. How do you know for sure that you are making the right decision for your child? Should you really push them to play a musical instrument or master chess? Or is sport something everyone has to enjoy? Making these decisions can be hard, especially as parenting is all about learning as you go. Fortunately, micro-learning app and platform Blinkist can help. By analysing the most highlighted passages within its parenting books-in-blinks, the site has shared a roundup of the best parenting advice, as chosen by its UK audience, to give everyone a helping hand when the going gets tough.

‘If you want your child to grow and learn from his mistakes, offer helpful praise and never use labels’ from How to Talk So Kids Will Listen & Listen So Kids Will Talk by Adele Faber and Elaine Mazlish

A useful piece of advice, especially if you are not sure how you want to tackle discussing with your child a mistake that they have made. While discipline is individual to each family and parent, praise definitely shouldn’t be. When your child does something right, whether it is following a mistake or not, make sure to praise them and commend them on each part of the task, so that they know you’ve paid attention to them and valued their work.

 ‘Having less stuff will help you be a better parent’ from Minimalist Parenting by Asha Dornfest and Christine Koh

This insight can be taken both literally and metaphorically. For example, don’t overwhelm your child with a multitude of developmental toys and games. Instead, choose a few to focus on during each developmental stage. This way, your child will play with the toys and advance with them, meaning that when they are bored you can move on to the next recommended set, without having endless clutter in the house.

In a similar way, it isn’t a good idea to overwhelm yourself and your child with a variety of parenting techniques, extracurricular activities and studying techniques. Once you know what you and your child like, choose a select few: a manageable amount of extracurricular activities a week, one studying technique that works with the kind of learner they are and one parenting technique for both parents. This will leave both you and your child feeling more relaxed, entertained and never overwhelmed.

‘Learning to deal with mistakes is important for character development’ from How Children Succeed by Paul Tough

The key with learning from mistakes is that this doesn’t just apply to the child, but also to you as the parent. If you know that certain behaviours and attitudes provoke and upset your child, avoid making them in the future. Not only will your child be happier, but they will also learn from you.

Similarly, when your child makes a mistake, don’t shout at them, instead endeavour to explain the mistake to them in a calm and strict manner. This way, they will retain the information far better.

‘Schools should give students eight core competencies, starting with curiosity, creativity and criticism’  from Creative Schools by Ken Robinson and Lou Aronica

This is especially important to remember when you are choosing a school for your child. All schools are different and will prioritise different elements of education. However, curiosity, creativity and constructive criticism are fundamentals that will help your child to succeed in later life. The sooner they become familiar with the basics of these principles, the more they will begin to rely on them, making them more creative and curious, as well as more receptive to criticism in later life.

‘Our brains comprise two different hemispheres that need to be balanced’ from The Whole-Brain Child by Daniel J. Siegel and Tina Payne Bryson

A fundamental for any parent who feels that their child’s strengths are entirely different to their own. If you are a doctor and your child wants to be a writer, you need to respect their choice and their right to experiment with their own strengths. The brain has two hemispheres and their dominance often isn’t genetic. Respect your child, encourage them to pursue their strengths and celebrate their successes with them.

‘Don’t smother your children, but learn how to really say “no”’ from Bringing Up Bébé by Pamela Druckerman

Children should be allowed to explore and make mistakes, as well as learn from them. Don’t overwhelm them with rules – this will leave them feeling confused and afraid of upsetting you. Instead, decide on your own fundamental rules and work hard to make sure that these are followed.