A few weeks ago, I saw a meme on Facebook with this message:
My parents made rules and I didn’t even dream of questioning them.
I make rules and my kid demands a 10 page thesis on why, how, what, when, and just so you know Mum, it’s not happening.
Mumlyfe
I shared it on my page because I thought it was interesting (and a little disconcerting). One of my followers asked why I thought the behavior represented on the meme was so common. I gave her a short answer, but I wanted to delve deeper into this topic because I think it is important for parents
The reality is that a couple of generations ago, most parents were confident in the legitimacy of their authority. Because of that, they expected their kids to listen and obey. They may have explained their decisions to their kids on occasion, but they stood their ground regardless. The explanation, if any, probably included some version of “Because I said so.”
And guess what? The kids generally obeyed because they could not get away without doing so. Their obedience and respect for authority carried forth from their homes into other aspects of their lives, such as school. Teachers with large class sizes and no aides did not deal with rampant behavioral problems in their classrooms like we see today.
What has changed? Just about everything related to child-rearing. This episode lays it all on the table.
WHAT YOU WILL LEARN:
- How the first parenting “experts” who came onto the scene in the 1960s succeeded in demonizing traditional parenting practices including, but not limited to, the concept of parental authority
- Why the repercussions from that change in paradigm now cause rampant confusion among parents
- Why many (if not most) modern parents are uncomfortable with the concept of authority
- How a democratic, child-centric approach to raising children opens the door for pushback and disregard for rules
- Why kids must learn to obey authority figures if they want to thrive in the real world (because society will always require that of them)
- Why explaining the reasons behind parental rules may not always be the best strategy
- How to utilize parental authority to help you raise internally-motivated kids
- Why parental authority should look different in different seasons of parenting
- Why parents should choose their rules carefully, and how to do so in a way that reinforces family values
READY TO LISTEN?
You can do that right here or on iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher, and Spotify.
YOU MIGHT ALSO ENJOY:
- Episode 005: Help! My Kids Won’t Listen
- Episode 003: To Every Thing, There is a Season
- The Backbone of Effecting Parenting
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