04/02/2022
Imagine how easy parenting would be if you could let your kids bathe in the swimming pool, play video games all day and stay up all night drinking Mountain Dew. Sigh…
We parents know that the health and happiness of our children is our highest priority. But when we’re enforcing rules, breaking up sibling battles, and reminding kids over and over why they shouldn’t eat their boogers (when what they want is to really eat those boogers) 𝐢𝐭’𝐬 𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐞𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐲 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐤𝐢𝐝𝐬 𝐦𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐳𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐰𝐞 𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐛𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐝.
Because the very nature of parenting often puts us at odds with our children, it’s important to show them that we are, in fact, ON THEIR TEAM!
The concept of Positive Discipline emphasizes 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐁𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐂𝐨𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧.
Connection creates a sense of safety and openness. Punishment, lecturing, nagging, scolding, blaming or shaming create fight, flight, or freeze. 𝐊𝐢𝐝𝐬 𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧 𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲’𝐫𝐞 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐞𝐟𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐞.
Below are suggestions for creating connection while enforcing boundaries.
From best-selling author and child psychologist Dr. Jane Nelsen:
1. 𝐕𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬. Kids are entitled to not like a rule.
2. 𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐞, 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐮𝐬𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠. Let your child weigh in.
3. 𝐀𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐚 𝐜𝐨𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐟𝐟 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐝, 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐨𝐥𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐖𝐈𝐓𝐇 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐤𝐢𝐝.
4. 𝐇𝐮𝐠𝐬. (That’s a given.)
𝐰𝐰𝐰.𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐁𝐢𝐠𝐠𝐢𝐞𝐬𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐬.𝐜𝐨𝐦
#𝐁𝐈𝐆𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐬𝐁𝐈𝐆𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐬
