Authors
- Julio Geovanni Pérez Pérez
- Danna Valentina Riveros López
When we talk about parenting guidelines, we usually think about children. However, the true starting point should be parents, who put these guidelines into practice every day. Parenting involves much more than correcting or teaching behaviors; it requires a deep process of self-awareness, inner reflection, and openness to change.
Making mistakes is a natural part of the process of raising children, just as love for our children is. But that love, far from being a guarantee that we are doing things right, must become a driving force for transformation. Parenting from love means questioning ourselves, reflecting, and continuously adapting in the pursuit of healthier and more conscious relationships with our children.
Exercising responsible motherhood or fatherhood requires acknowledging that we will make mistakes, and that it is okay to do so, as long as we are willing to learn from them. This process can be challenging, as it touches on sensitive aspects such as our pride, our traditions, and the way we were raised. However, when the goal is the well-being of children, we must be willing to make the necessary adjustments.
The first step toward more conscious parenting is getting to know our children; we cannot educate what we do not understand. To achieve this, it is essential to learn to listen actively. This listening goes beyond hearing words; it involves full attention, emotional interpretation, and reading behaviors, gestures, and silences.
From this place of listening, we can identify which guidelines we need to establish or strengthen. But it is not enough to know this; we must also observe ourselves, reflect, and adjust our own behaviors in order to model what we want to teach. Parenting is not only conveyed through words, but through example.
Being consistent between what we say and what we do is key. The attitude and behavior of a father or mother have a direct impact on how a child acts and responds to life. Therefore, more than educating, it is about being.
To all fathers and mothers, one piece of advice: do not give up. Listen, be consistent, and remember that raising a child is easier when we educate ourselves, transform ourselves, and adapt to the wonderful human being we have in front of us.
