If anyone ever said that parenting was easy, or that they had it all figured out, they were probably lying. Parenting can be one of the hardest things to do on this entire planet, and that is because there is no secret answer.
There is no magic trick to make it all work out, and there never can be. That is because every single parent, family, and child is unique, and should be treated as such. Moms will have to adjust their parenting with each child they have, and this can be difficult and exhausting.
However, there can be trends and ideas that we can look to that can make it a bit easier. When we hear the word “improv,” we don’t likely think of parenting skills, we think of acting. However, the words improv and parenting may have a lot more in common than one would think.
Since motherhood is about constant growth and learning, let's explore how being an expert at improvising can really help a parent with their parenting skills.
Is Improv Just Winging It?
When we look at the word “improv,” we know that this means that we need to just wing it. We make up what we are doing on the spot, and for a type-A parent, this may seem horrible. However, according to Psychology Today, when parents use improv, it means that they are able to accept and work with their child wherever they are. They react immediately depending on if their child is showing signs of hunger, fatigue, or even sickness.
This can benefit parenting as it allows parents to get to know their child in a deeper way, and it can actually relieve stress. It removes the stress of having to plan out every situation and reaction, and it can free up the mind.
Enhances The Bond
If you have any experience in acting, you know that the number one rule of improv is to always say yes. Now, this doesn’t mean that mom is going to start saying yes to everything her child says or does, but it can work.
According to Parents, parents can constantly say “yes” to their children and still have boundaries. Here is an example, if your child wants one more story at bedtime, take the time to say yes, and tell them they get just one more, and then it is lights out. This applies to a boundary, and it goes a long way to helping the bond between parent and child.
Improv Teaches Us To Stay Calm
There are a million things going through a mom’s mind at any given moment, and improv can really help to calm that down. According to Life Hacker, a big part of improv is staying quiet until you fully know what you want to say. You do not respond right away, and it is about learning to be OK with quiet. This means that when something happens to upset mom, or when her children are asking her for something, she gives herself time to think before she answers. This can help her mental health, and it can help her collect her thoughts before throwing any answer at her child.
Sources: Psychology Today, Parents, Life Hacker