Some parents are too lenient with younger kids thinking that they would have plenty of time later on to teach them the basics of how to behave with parents and in society. But young kids pick up easily on when they are in a position to manipulate their parents and this can seriously throw the best laid parenting plans off gear easily. Here are the 3 basic mistakes you need to avoid when raiding young kids.
Don’t be afraid to tell them “no”
It is perfectly OK to feel like one needs to be a better parent than one’s own parents or that one’s child should have all the things that one wanted in their own childhood. But giving a kid everything he wants and giving into his every whim only sets him up for failure in the real world. A child who understands that there are things that he can’t have is better equipped to deal with rejection in the real world.
Don’t push them into too many activities
Hyper competitive parents today tend to burden their kids with as many activities as they can to ensure that the land prestigious spots in top schools. However, a child that is burdened with a packed schedule leaves him with little time to enjoy childhood or to just be a kid. This also results in the child experiencing burnout by the time he hits high school which could be disastrous for their actual paying career in life. On the other hand, a child that is allowed to have plenty of time to be a kid and enjoy childhood pursuits in peace is more likely to be a keen learner through adolescence and early adulthood.
Don’t compromise with discipline
Parents often forget that children understand rules but aren’t all that good at understanding when it’s ok to bend the rules and when it isn’t. This means that parents need to keep their disciplining rules enforced at all times. It is usually better to tell them the rules and the punishment for breaking them beforehand. Then, when a discipline problem does arise, they can mete out the promised consequence to ensure that the child understands the action=results premise.
The responsibility for shaping a young child’s personality rests solely on their parents. By avoiding the above mentioned mistakes, you too can ensure that your child grows up to be the best that he can be.
