It’s hardly the most shocking thing in the world to say that parenting can be a pretty significant challenge. In fact, it can be one of the hardest things in the world. However, when a lot of people think about the difficulties of parenting, they tend to think about changing nappies and waking up in the night. And sure, those can be tough, but one of the hardest things for a lot of parents is what happens when their child actually starts growing up. Accepting that your child is getting older is a tough thing to come to terms with but it’s something that every parent needs to be able to do.
New schools
Going to a new school is one of the most significant things that will have happened in your child’s life so far. There is a whole world of difference between primary and secondary school and that means that you need to be there to support them during this transition. The first thing you need to do is to help them find the right school. Places like https://www.leicesterhigh.co.uk/ work hard to make the transition for new pupils as smooth as possible. You also need to be sensitive to the new challenges that your child might be facing at a new school where everything is different.
New friends
When your child is very young, you have a lot of control over who their friends are. Their friends are often kids from their class or the children of your friends. However, as they get older, they may start making friends without you really having much say in it. Some of these friends might not be the kinds of kids that you generally approve of and whose behaviour you don’t really want reflecting on your child. However, it’s important to recognise when your child is actually at risk and when you’re just being overprotective.
New interests
For a long time, what your child likes will often involve you pretty heavily. You’ll be the person they want to play with the most and you’ll be able to enjoy things with them all the time. However, as they get older, they may start wanting to do things that don’t really involve you and won’t want to do the things that you want to do. This can be tough for a lot of parents but it’s something that you need to come to terms with. It’s a natural part of growing up, however difficult it might be.
The instinct that a lot of parents have is that they end up feeling as though they have to try and keep their child as young as possible for as long as possible. And sure, no kid wants to have to grow up too fast, but the truth is that if you try and force your child to stay young forever, you’re just going to end up frustrating them and making them want to resist anything you do. The best thing you can do is to make sure that you’re always thinking about what they need at any given stage in their life.