Purposeful Parenting begins by thinking about the final result.

What do parents want for their children? All parents want their adult children to be healthy, happy, and productive. They want them to be all that they can be. A great paradigm to follow to reach these goals is Purposeful Parenting. It's great for parents of all kids, biological, foster, and adoptive.

A great place to start on Purposeful Parenting is on making sure to take good care of yourself. Having a good self-care routine can make a huge impact on the way you parent. At the Y, we're here to support all parents, foster parents in particular, take the best care of their physical and mental health.

The six parts of Purposeful Parenting are being Protective, Personal, Progressive, Positive, Playful, and Purposeful, parents and caregivers can decrease toxic stress. Decreasing toxic stress releases that in-born drive to grow, to learn, to contribute, and to connect with others.

A great place to start on Purposeful Parenting is on making sure to take good care of yourself. Having a good self-care routine can make a huge impact on the way you parent. At the Y, we're here to support all parents, foster parents in particular, while they take the best care of their physical and mental health.

Tips to become a Purposeful Parent

Get enough sleep

It's hard to get enough sleep when you have little ones at home, but it's important to protect your sleep routine as much as you can. People that get enough sleep make clearer decisions.

Get plenty of exercise

It seems hard to fit in exercise when you're keeping up with little busy bodies all day long, but at the Y, we make it easy for you to pop in to attend a class or work out on your own while your kids hang out in our free childcare center, the Kids Zone.

Strong mind, strong parent

Mental health can be a difficult, especially as a busy parent. At the Y, we support all families on their journey toward mental health.