Parents play a very important role in shaping the character and future of a child. The responsibility of building good habits and ethical values in children lies on the shoulders of the parents. Not all parents are equally adept at parenting. Some parents are intuitive and understand the requirements of their children in time. They can offer better emotional support to their kids.
Sadly some other parents fail to understand the emotional needs of their children and treat them like their minions. Children have to be controlled to an extent so that they learn to value rules and become disciplined. Too much controlling, ordering and disciplining is bad for the growth and development of children. A parent should not act like a boss but also try to be a guide, teacher and friend to their children.
Parenting is tough and sometimes you may feel clueless about the right way of handling a situation. The chiseled and experienced parents know when to let go and when to confront their kids.
Some mistakes that children make are pardonable but others are not. Punishment should not be used for quenching your anger, but to teach them about limitations, proper behavior and their responsibilities. Children often follow the footsteps of their children. If you are not disciplined, well-behaved and good humored then your children will also not learn to adapt these qualities.
Diana Baumrind was a psychologist who researched on parenting by observing 100 preschool students and interviewing their parents. The Authoritarian parents are strict and rigid. They want their kids to follow whatever rules they have established unquestioningly. If the rules are broken then the children are punished but no logical explanation is offered to the kids. Such parents are not nurturing the emotions of their kids and do not offer real moral guidance.
The authoritative parents are better than the authoritarian parents. These parents understand the importance of extending their support and guidance to their kids. They try to answer the questions of their children to the best of their capacity. As a result not only the kids grow up to be disciplined but they also value their own ethics. The permissive parents are not at all strict and let their kids do whatever they want to do. As a result the children become unruly and obstinate.
Summary:
Choose your parenting style carefully so that it promotes your child’s growth and development. Be strict but at the same time do not ignore the emotional requirements of your children.
