When it comes to parenting there is no manual, no guide on what to do and how to do it. Yes, there are the antenatal classes and parenting self-help books, but does anybody really know? No one is in possession of the definitive guide to get you through the tiresome toddler years or precarious pre-teen stage. However what most parents have in common is the following skillset, and if they didn’t pre-kids you can be pretty certain that they soon developed them. So sit back with a cup of tea and take stock of this light-hearted approach to the parenting skill-set must-haves that will hopefully leave you valuing your parenting skills and family life a little bit more.
Patience
When a toddler is screaming at you because they wanted the pink bowl and not the green bowl your patience will be tested. When you have asked your five-year-old to put their shoes on four times and they still have not moved, your patience will be tested. When your teenager repeatedly leaves used cups and plates in their room to grow an entirely new substance, your patience will be tested. There is no doubt about it if you want to survive the murky world of modern-day parenting on a day to day basis you will need to have the patience of a saint.
Negotiations
The top UN negotiators no doubt learnt their best negotiating repertoire from exchanges they had with their children, who wanted to do something that was forbidden. No one has more persistence than a child who wants to get their own way. They will back you into a corner and talk at you until you are ready to admit defeat and concede to their ways. It takes the strongest negotiators to stand up to a son or daughter with a bee in their bonnet.
First aid skills
As a parent, you will be expected to master the ‘kiss it better’ technique, the ‘rub it better’ method and of course the ‘jump it off’ pain reliever. Children have any number of accidents, bumps, trips and falls the vast majority of which can be fixed and sent on their way with a quick rub of the leg. That said there will be times when some more heavy-duty first aid will be required. If you think your first aid skills may be lacking then put them to the test now to see what areas you might need to improve upon.
Cookery skills
That lovingly prepared veggie feast that you have spent hours making, forget it. You could dedicate hours to preparing wholesome family food full of nutrients and goodness only for your pre-schooler will push around their plate or end up on the floor. The skills you really need to be able to master is to be able to turn the oven on and heat up waffles and breaded chicken to a perfect temperature. That and Uber Eats.