Parenting is one of the hardest challenges in life. It’s a tough job that never ends and takes work to improve at every stage. But there’s nothing quite as rewarding as watching someone you love most become their greatest and happiest self. We spoke with Dr. Casey Gamboni, a therapist and teaching and supervising faculty member at the Marriage and Family Therapy Program at The Family Institute at Northwestern University, and consulted guides offered by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the U.S. Department of Education, to understand how parents can foster a healthier, stronger relationship with their children.
Listen to them
To build a relationship with your child that will stand the test of time as they become adults, Gamboni suggests learning to actively listen more and handing out orders less. “I think something that could be beneficial for children or adults is to just listen to them, as opposed to telling them what to do,” Gamboni said. “I know that is a huge shift for emerging adults because parents are doing a lot less of telling their child what to do while listening and garnering insight from their child, but I think basic, active listening skills will go a very long way.”