Your own parents will agree: parenting is no longer what it used to be. Parenting these days has changed so much, and the reason is no other than the changing times. So naturally, parenting skills of the past are no longer suitable for the 21st century, and in the long run, the ones who suffer are the children, who are thrust out into a world they had not been trained for.
Common Issues Between Parents and Kids in the 21st Century
Parents in the 21st century have to deal with issues in child-rearing that parents from 50 years ago have not even heard of. Some obvious manifestations of changes between the past and the present are the significance of the digital world to today’s society. Mobile phones, tablets, and computers together cause major societal impact that has an undeniable effect on the way children think, act, and communicate. This is just one example why parents have a bigger responsibility in the 21st century: they simply have more ground to cover.
The Mobile Phone Issue. With mobile phones becoming more important, parents should be able to teach their kids how to properly use it and control it. Many parents face the same problems regarding mobile phones: they often find their kids using their mobile phones too much or for the wrong reasons. It is therefore the parents’ responsibility to determine just how they want their kids to use mobile phones.
Smoking, Drinking, and Drugs. Although these problems may have been around for quite some time now, they have never had so much influence on the younger generation than now. In the past, these were considered as no-nos. But now, more and more people, even celebrities, are getting tangled in them. Parents of the 21st century CANNOT brush off such a significant issue. Communicating and teaching children about the dangers and consequences of these habits are crucial, now more than ever.
The Social Networking Issue. Social networking has taken the world by storm, and now children live two lives in two different worlds: the real world and the digital world. There is, however, no line that restricts parents from being able to influence and teach their children even in the digital world. Parents should make it a point to stay up to date with technology just so they could be aware of what potential threats this poses among their children and how they could protect their children from them.
These are just some of the most common issues parents and kids in the 21st century face.
Preparing Kids for the 21st Century and Beyond
The 21st century is already complicated and fast-paced enough as it is, and it is bound to move and change at a greater speed. Unfortunately for parents, this means they have a greater responsibility to teach their kids how to survive in the coming years. For kids to become successful in this highly competitive and still growing society, parents have to begin the work early on in the lives of their kids.
As a parent, it is important for you to set aside your own ideals and to instead adapt to the standards of today. With the society changing fast, you have to put away what you’re used to and instead learn what your kids will need in the present and in the future, then prepare them for it.
In a competitive and fast-paced environment, kids have to be taught how to think and act the right way. This is the responsibility of parents.
Parenting Tips for 21st Century Kids
Here are what you have to teach your 21st century kids:
- How to detect problems and solve/avoid them
- How to identify opportunities and grab them
- How to make decisions and proceed with them confidently
- How to adapt to various situations
- How to find their uniqueness
- How important learning is
In the past, parents focused on teaching children how to work and make money. Now, parents of the 21st century have to teach their children how to survive in a competitive world. It is no longer enough to start making money.
In a dog-eat-dog society, only those who know how to handle problems, make the most out of opportunities, make the right decisions, adapt, stand out, and learn continuously can survive best.
And finally, the most important tip for parents of the 21st century:
How to find their place in the world
Parents in the 21st century have to teach and train their children to think with a wider perspective, a global view. In the 21st century, barriers between nations have started to weaken. There will come a time when the children of today will be expected to live in a global village, and it is the responsibility of the parents to expose their kids to various cultures and languages across the globe. This will help foster children who have the natural ability to bridge cultural differences, and this will certainly help them find more opportunities and successes later on in life.
