We at Child Therapy Chicago want to encourage one simple but important thought -- to always keep trying to be a good enough parent.
Much has been written about this concept and we address it frequently. Good enough parenting is not about being perfect, never getting upset, and responding or reacting to children the right way all the time; it is about building a relationship of trust, warmth, security, and positive regard by being as reliable, predictable, consistent, supportive, and encouraging as often as possible.
When things do not go as planned, which can happen a lot, good enough parenting is about the repair and recovery from those moments and creating an emotionally safe environment.
Children learn about relationships and develop their sense of self from their interactions with their parents and caregivers. When things go well in the relationship, great. When there are less than ideal moments, that is ok too. Parents and children can talk about and process those difficult times, which helps children learn how to deal with feeling of upset and disappointment and how to work through them and move forward with their sense of self still intact.
So, resolve to keep working on being a good enough parent. The rewards for parents and children are priceless!
