Every parent hopes that their child will still come to them years from now to spend time together, share their victories and setbacks, and seek guidance.
As a conscious parenting researcher, I’ve studied more than 200 kids, and I’m a mother myself. This kind of lifelong closeness is built early on in the small, everyday moments that teach a child whether it’s safe to be fully themselves around their parents.
Here are the practices parents should start early on if they want a relationship that lasts well into adolescence and adulthood.
Children rise to the expectations we set for them. When kids are micromanaged or constantly overcorrected, they can slowly become more resentful or secretive.
Offer trust early and often. Try saying: “I trust you. If anything feels tough, you can come to me.” This trust becomes the foundation they rely on later, when life gets more complicated.
