There is no perfect way to rear children; there are many ways parents raise their little ones, so that they grow up to be smart, happy and healthy individuals.

Even so, there is one form of parenting that is slowly gaining popularity – the “good enough” parent.

Who Is A “Good Enough” Parent?

The name is pretty self-explanatory: the kind of parents who don’t expect perfection 24/7. In fact, they follow the path of moderation in every single parenting thing – neither too much, nor too little.

Excess of both kinds of parenting can be detrimental to the child’s development: overbearing parenting will drive your children insane, while too little parenting will alienate them from you. That’s how “good enough” parenting works – it balances both the excesses, and allows children to be independent, while also enjoying the safety and comfort of their parents’ love.

But we’re still left with the question: why?

Why “Good Enough” Parenting Works?


It is realistic

No matter how many books you may ready, no one is ever prepared for parenting. There are many ups and downs, and not enough moments to relax. Moreover, children are unpredictable – and parents can’t expect perfection out of them. It is completely unrealistic!

What is realistic, though, is to give your child enough space to grow as individuals, while making sure they receive equal amounts of love, affection and support. It makes the entire parenting process a lot less stressful, and a lot more fun.

It reduces stress on parents

When parents strive too hard after perfection, they tend to lose sight of their priorities. They focus too much on making sure that everything their child does is perfect. While it stems from a good place, this kind of stressful parenting makes matters worse. It causes unnecessary mental and emotional distress to the parent.

On the contrary, good enough parents focus more on keeping their child happy rather than prim-and-proper. That’s why they don’t have to deal with the stress of meeting high expectations.

It’s good for children

All parents want to do is take care of their child when they are in discomfort or pain. While this comes from a good place, this is actually detrimental to a child’s development. The reality is that everyone is set to face disappointment in their life at one point or another – so coddling children makes them expect that life is always that easy. The bitter truth is that it’s not.

Good enough parents, instead of pampering, teach their children how to understand disappointment or failure, and hence grow into responsible, strong adults.


Nurseries in Jumeirah Park are great at teaching children this kind of maturity. Oakfield Early Learning Centre stands out because of its various activities – both group and solo – that help children learn how to handle tasks and overcome obstacles along the way. Furthermore, they help children understand that let-downs are a part of life, and they should grow from it.

So, you should be happy to be good enough!