Monday, February 16, 2009

and would you stop talking in baby talk to your 8-year-old?

Dear parents lacking vital parenting skills,

Your children desperately want your approval and praise. However when you only pay attention to them when they do something bad they will keep doing these bad things so you'll notice them! Take an interest in their lives and stop yelling at them and their behavior will improve. Give them structure and opportunities to be obedient. Praise their success. Oh and don't take yourself so seriously and stop trying to control your kids all the time. Rudely bossing children around is a recipe for creating a belligerent, rude child. Even I can tell this and I'm not even a parent! I'm surprised that your children have not already strangled you.

-had a long Saturday at work

3 comments:

Andrea Landaker said...

Hey, do you have hidden video cameras in my house or something? Man, that's just like me and Q . . . I should follow your advice. :-)

Rachel Helps said...

heh, no Andrea you are much better than the parents I babysit... you follow up on time-outs and keep the rules the same! Some parents change things and it is very confusing for everyone involved.

Andrea Landaker said...

Heh, it was mostly where you said, "stop taking yourself so seriously and trying to control your children" -- I'm working on not taking things personally and not getting angry.

I thought I was a pretty patient, easy-going person, until I had kids! :-)