Being a parent is the most intensive personal development training that you can have, so say Peter Koijen and Ligia Ramos from In2motivation, an Amsterdam-based personal and professional development company. However, it is not a job... 

Lots of us will never forget the moment when the pregnancy test tested positive and all the stages that followed: months of uncertainty, different opinions, strange stories and, of course, everyone thinking that they can do it better!

If you are not living in your home country, things can be even more "complicated". Your family is far away, the way of "having babies" in the Netherlands might be very different from what you’re used to in your home country, and basically, everything is new (even if it is not your first baby).

While the pregnancy can already be a challenge, having your baby in your arms can mean going from pure love to panic in less than two seconds. And that sensation doesn't dissipate as your child gets older because they change and grow so fast.

Parenting: Not a job but an attitude

We say that this is the most intensive personal development training that you can have. You can read lots of books, and even attend specialised training sessions for parenting and bringing up successful kids. But let us tell you one simple thing - Parenting is not a job!

This means that:

• Firstly: It is not a competition
• Secondly: You cannot be fired
• Thirdly: The most important thing is not what you do, but what you are

Being a parent is much more than providing your child with education, food, clothes or any other thing. It is much simpler. Children just need a home, and that home is not a physical home, but an emotional one. It's a place where they can be themselves, and share without criticism or judgment.

If you are moving around the planet as a family, this principle of "home" becomes even more important. And remember that "home" is you and your way of connecting with your children. Parenting is not a job, but an attitude!

Co-authors Peter Koijen and Ligia Ramos are life coaches and motivational speakers at In2Motivation, offering personal and professional training courses to optimise individual and group motivation and performance. Follow In2motivation on Facebook to find out about future parenting events!