The sign of good parenting is not a child’s behavior; the sign of good parenting is a parent’s behavior ~ Andy Smithson.
This is my way of telling people who judge me – Talk to the hand. Parents everywhere get so worked up about how their children behave in public, when people at home complain about how the child does not listen, how the child doesn’t tidy up after a play, or about the child being naughty. They forget to realize that kids are meant to behave like kids and not like adults. They are meant to mess up, and they are meant to be childlike in behavior and sometimes do things they want to. Being naughty is something only they can be, and no one expects an adult to be one. What is essential is to understand where you, as a parent need to draw a line to educate them. What you feel is acceptable is based on the acceptance level, according to you.
Yelling at your child just because you are embarrassed if they are loud in a high-end restaurant shows you need to improve yourself and not your child. Please don’t take them to such places where you want them to be quiet for a couple of hours.
Don’t scream at them at malls or supermarkets if they want to buy something. Instead, try diverting their attention to something else, talk to them as if they are older, and explain to them what’s reasonable and unreasonable and why. And then let them choose. Let them be able to decide for themselves, and then explain to them the consequences of choosing that which is not right. Let them feel it too. Don’t impose. Be a conscious parent if you want to raise a conscious child.
Don’t push them to play at parties if they don’t want to. Don’t force them to compete if they are unwilling. Every person has their own character and personality. Pushing them to their limits is only going to make them withdraw from the situation. Encourage by your words, appreciate when they perform, or take part in places where they usually don’t. It’s not always about winning but more about participating.
