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THE
YUMMY
MOTHER
Ahlaam Ali is a lifestyle and
nutrition consultant. She has
an 18-year-old son. With a very
fun camaraderie driven style
of parenting, she believes that
parenting has to be a satisfying
experience that helps to build a
soul connection for life.
Your style
Being a lifestyle and nutrition
coach, I make sure I eat extremely
healthy every day and I also get to
bed very early. I am generally in
bed by 10 pm and get a complete
8 hours of sleep most nights. I
am in a routine of exercising and
meditating daily as well which
goes a long way. As a parent, I feel
it’s more important for parents to
adopt a more chilled approach to
parenting as that empowers young
ones to confide in you and grow as
individuals with your guidance
and coaching.
Does it work?
I believe my style works really well
because he is now a wise young
man full of smart ideas and great
ambition. We agree on what works
and what doesn’t and then hardly
ever break the rules. But kids do
not come with a manual. We are
constantly learning parenting on
the job; so it’s best to keep the style
of parenting very flexible. What
works when they were 5, does not
work when they turn 13 or 17 or 20.
Drawing the line
I pull him up on what he has
done and explain to him why
what he did does not work. I also
explain to him the fact that my
only objective is his wellbeing
throughout all of this. And also…
the most important thing; we
happily say sorry to each other
as and when the need arises. I
think that has gone a long way in
keeping our relationship cool and
loving.
H
• Anchor yourself in a value
system, be informed about
theories and practices
--and let intuition guide
the rest.
• The best case scenario is to
be a little of everything. Be
the tiger mom; alongside
be the yummy mother and
the chummy mother. It
basically will result in your
being a high expectation
and high support type of
parent.
• Remember, kids need
boundaries even if they
don't like them, and they
need to be held up to a
reasonable standard even
if it feels uncomfortable
for them.
(Credit:
Dr. Saliha Afridi
,
Clinical Psychologist in
Dubai)
Expert
Tips
62
Nov/Dec 2016