Leading at home doesn’t have to be a complex issue. There are a ton of books and blogs to get advice from, good and bad. But the question raised in the title plagues a lot of concerned parents because in their minds “You catch more flies with honey” is just too good to ignore.
But like work teams, everyone in the family serves a purpose. The parents’ role is much more a functional one and sometimes an emotional one as well. The former pertains to the basics needs of survival and hopefully good morals while the latter is built on love, affection and esteem. And although the latter is beautiful to behold, both are necessary in raising well-rounded functioning members of society.
And so, the parallels of leadership and parenting keep coming, after all better parents are better leaders. So do you need to be your child’s friend? My friend and colleague Zeenat Thawer helped me perfectly answer this question here where we fleshed out the topic to arrive to our conclusion:
- What it means to be mindful and how do we nurture this as a child
- How parents can help nurture a teenager’s interests
- The importance of having a family meeting, and let the child chair the meeting
- Do you need to become a friend to your child?
- Understanding how each child is unique and not a “mini-me”
- How parents are leaders
- The neuroplasticity of a child/teen’s brain
Zeenat holds an MSc. in Training and Human Resource Management degree from Leicester University in the UK. She is also an accredited Mediator and Trainer. Zeenat has trained in the UK and holds a Masters degree in Human Resource Management. She is also a certified Mediator and Trainer from the Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution (CEDR), UK, and is an accredited faculty and leadership coach for Leadershape Global, UK. Having this background as an educator, former child and parent – Zeenat was the only reasonable go-to for such as occasion. Check out her interview and sound off in the comments below.
“Remember that each child is an individual with a different personality, a unique personality. They have special interests, likes dislikes. They’re very different from you, right? So they’re not a mini you as a parent.” – Zeenat Thawer
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