Be an amazing parent:
Stop and Think before making a Decision
It’s OK NOT to have all the answers right away. You can ask for some time to think about how you are going to handle the situation. Request the time. Example: “What you have done is wrong so I am going to take some time to think about the best way to teach you that this was an inappropriate decision.”
Another Example: “I don’t know how I feel about you getting your tongue pierced, give me a couple of days to think about it.” Maybe once you thought about it, you will say, “I am not very comfortable with you getting your tongue pierced. It feels like just a fad to me. So if you wait a year and still want to get it pierced, I will allow it because I will know you truly want it rather than it being just an impulse decision.”
Consult with other parents you trust. Some of my best advice came from parents and teachers. True life Examples: 3-year-old daughter wanted to dress in crazy outfits rather than her very cute clothes. Teacher’s advice: Let her wear what she wants unless it is an important event. Then pull out two outfits and let her chose between the two. The dreaded Sex talk. Good friend’s advice: My parents had a book that they read to us regularly so that this discussion would be normal and natural. I went and got the book, “Who made me?” by Malcolm and Meryl Doney and read it to my girls from the time they were five years old… leaving out the particular details until the time seemed right.
Remember if you set down a consequence …you will need to follow through so make sure you have that ability. (Grounded…someone needs to be home to make sure the grounding is in place, so parents are essentially grounded, too. Therefore, I normally only grounded for Friday or Saturday night and one that fit my schedule. Setting a consequence and not following through really confuses a teen/child. So follow through, follow through, follow through! Unless, you set a consequence in anger that was too harsh. If you have done this just, admit it. You are human, and it is OK. You can say…”I overreacted out of anger and now that I have calmed down…a more reasonable consequence would be…..”
Research good consequences….plan ahead! I will give you all kinds of consequence ideas. Check out my other Valuable Parenting tips for “Effective Discipline Idea’s” at www.supportivetalk.com .
Some other parenting resources would be The Power of Positive Parenting: A Wonderful way to Raise Children by Glenn Latham and Sidney W. Bijou. Positive Parenting in Action by Laura Ling and Rebecca Earnes. For more Valuable Quick Parenting Tips go to www.supportivetalk.com . You can also choose to book a conversation to discuss your parenting or child discipline woes.