They say the best parents are grand-parents, they have the luxury of hind-sight. They have been down that road, made mistakes and now can do it better. Unfortunately, new mums like myself don`t have that privilege, there is no manual that tells you what to do, how to do it and which way is best,. We soon realize that our kids are worlds apart and the parenting style that works for one may not work for the other and juggling two or three parenting tricks can be hard.
Ultimately getting them to do what you want may mean that you shout at them and you end up burnt out or frustrated. I have learnt to adopt the following tricks when I need them to do something or act in a way.
- I remember that I have to say it more than once, so I don`t get mad or shout.
- I give them a little time to process what I have requested of them.
- I explain why it is important to do what they are asked to and the consequences of not doing it
- I get them to explain to me why they must do what was asked
- I state the consequences of disobedience and try hard to follow through with it.
21st century children are smarter and think faster, so to parent them, they must understand and you must explain the objective to them also you must be prepared to wade the waters to reach them. Ultimately please don`t expect to dish out orders and expect them to be accepted, followed and implemented immediately, you will have to say it more than once .
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