My wife works as a part-time nanny. She's been one since she was fourteen years old. Not only has she practically raised her two younger brothers. She loves kids and she loves being in their company. Armed with her testimony, I am confident in my following assessment: parents today are lacking. What is it that they are lacking exactly? Patience and understanding.
When I frequent a grocery store or mall, which I do infrequently, I invariably see children misbehaving. And, I'm always taken aback. Not because the child is crying or screaming, but because of how parents tend to react. More often than not, they tend to scold their children or take them outside. It is a slippery slope trying to find a balance between the needs of people in the store or movie theater and the needs of your child.
It all tends to go wrong when parents are too restrictive. Sure, playing in traffic or taking candy from strangers is not an option, but a little leeway should be in order for kids. Growing up, I experienced the school of command -- that is, my parents commanded respect and got it, even if they had to slap my hand or bottom to get it. Needless to say, I did not care for that school of parenting.
Respect is crucial for any relationship to be successful. Children should respect their parents, but the problem stems from how that respect is earned. That's right -- even parents must earn respect. Children need to feel safe and heard. That might sound trite, but how much respect could we muster for a boss that degraded us or slapped our hands every time we made a mistake?
Earning respect doesn't require a tremendous output of time or energy. You can earn respect in small, meaningful ways. A word of praise, a simple explanation, a moment of patience in the face of a tirade is all it takes. Even the right toy or television program can help. Try an interactive game that helps them better understand their letter or numbers. That shred of confidence goes a long way for a child and a confident child is more willing to listen.
Author Resource:
Help mold your child into a veritable baby Wordsworth with a smattering of kind words and some meaningful encouragement. There are numerous of effective and challenging games that can help them build their confidence and sense of self-worth.
![[Valid RSS feed]](http://www.look4articles.com/images/icon_Rss.png "XML Feed For RSS"){kind=icon}
Category Rss Feed
Print This Article
Add To Favorites
![[Valid RSS feed]](http://www.look4articles.com/images/rss.jpg "XML Feed For RSS")