“We never know the love of a parent till we become parents ourselves.”
– Henry Ward Beecher
Introduction
National Parents’ Day is celebrated on the fourth Sunday of the month of July, which this year is on July 25th. Mother’s and Father’s Day have been celebrated from 1900s but National Parents’ Day was only established in 1994.
History
National Parents’ Day came in existence in 1994 when President Bill Clinton signed a Congressional resolution that approved National Parents’ Day by law. The aim of this day is to recognize, uplift and support the role of parents in bringing up their children. Fourth Sunday of July was decided as Mother’s Day is in May and Father’s Day is in June so it makes sense to recognize and support both together in the next month.
In United States of America, the holiday is celebrated with participation from citizens, educational institutions, federal and local governments, legislative bodies and organizations. Some activities and events are also planned for the same. There’s also a Parents’ Day Council which promotes the holiday by conducting ceremonies such as the Parent of the Year award.
Parenthood
Parenthood is said to be a difficult but a memorable job. Ask your parents about their experience as parents and you will hear a list of complaints about yourself but it will always end with a second list of good, happy and memorable times with you.
Myths about Parenthood
On this occasion, here is a list of myths about parenthood:
- You will spoil your baby if you pick them up whenever they cry
Truth – during the first six months of the baby’s life, it is important to develop trust and picking him up when they cry is a way of doing so. After the first six months is the time to pull back a bit to teach the baby that they can survive.
2. Sugar makes kids hyper
Truth – Sugar is not the culprit, any food that affects the blood-sugar level will produce the same response. The way to mitigate this is by fiber, when some sugary treats do not have enough fiber, it tends to make the kids hyper.
3. Strict parents raise well-behaved kids
Truth – it is fine to have a set limit but it has to be done in a sensitive way or else it will make a very rigid child or an incredibly rebellious one.
4. It is better to shield children from loss
Truth – completely avoiding and acting like the loss hasn’t happened might be preventing the kid form building resilience which they will no doubt need in the later stage of their life.
5. All kids are picky
Truth – no, they are not, plus if you keep accommodating their pickiness, you are influencing it.
6. Children should come first
Truth – if you have decided to raise a kid, you need to be there for them and provide them with all necessities but that does not mean you can let your mental health slip away as that will then negatively affect your child. Taking care of yourself at the same time teaches your child the importance of self-care and still loving others.
7. Parents shouldn’t fight in front of their children
Truth – it is good to avoid a full blown fight in front of the kids but if you can control your anger and have an open dialogue to solve the issue in front of your kid, it will show them how to deal with disagreements.
8. Parenting comes naturally
Truth – you only become a parent when your baby arrives, it is not like you have special experience and training. You are also growing and developing as a parent as time passes. Parenthood isn’t something you learn once and you know everything, you are always growing and learning as a parent.
Conclusion
It is important to note that not every parent is as good and providing as the most, some are abusive, if you face this, you don’t have to feel guilty about not respecting or worshipping them. And for other people, if anyone ever opens up to you about having abusive parents, you should not tell them to be grateful about having parents and to respect them.
Parents sacrifice their time and resources for their kids. Growing and taking care of a whole human is not an easy job, it is a continuous process and a tough one at that but it is as rewarding. For the to be parents, when you look at other parents, it might look like they’ve got it all figured out and that it is very scary but trust and believe in yourself. As kids, we should respect our parents for their efforts.
0 Comments