Children are a gift of God but happy and successful children are a gift of positive parenting.

A new year is here again, with new promises, new hopes. At the risk of spoon-feeding, which I have always discouraged, I urge all the parents of the nation to choose one of these resolutions for the new year. Well if you pick all, I guarantee that you’ll become the happiest parents of the world.

Resolve that I’ll never hit my child: Resolve that you’ll never punish your child by physically hitting him or by shouting harsh words to make him realize his mistake. Because all he will ever realize is that his parents are unjust and don’t love him.

Resolve that I’ll hug my child everyday: Resolve that you’ll say ‘I love you’ to your child everyday, give him a hug or sneak a piece of paper under his pillow saying ‘You mean the most to us’. Just do it and feel the magical power of expressing.

Resolve that I’ll respect my child: Resolve that you’ll respect your child’s need for freedom to express what he feels, to wear what he wants, to make friends of his choice, to do what he wants to do in life and to simply be himself.

Resolve that I’ll love my child unconditionally: Resolve that you’ll love your child irrespective of his score in exams, even if loses the competition, whether he recites poems in front of guests or not, even when he is not an all rounder like your friend’s son.

Resolve that I’ll not preach, but become what I want my child to be: Resolve to never lie, never lose temper, act unselfish, respect elders, solve your problems by not losing balance. Inculcate all the qualities you want in your child first in yourself because children only see, they don’t listen.
Becoming present to your limitations as a parent and taking a stand to improve upon them means you have already become a better parent.