5 Top Parenting Mistakes

A toddler crying






1. Child treatment

All Children are not created equal. You may love all your children. You may take into consideration the attitudes of your children. Children with poor attitudes or several behavior problems should not be treated the same as the compliant child, because there are consequences for bad behaviors. Those bad behaviors should not be rewarded. Because each child is different that child should be dealt with accordingly.

2. Punishment vs. Rewards

There will be times when punishment may be needed. In order to change behavior, rewards are needed. If there is a constant punishing this will not encourage positive behavior in your child. Pick your battles carefully. Try to find a common ground. For example think about the good qualities of your child. Compliment your child on these qualities. This can do so much to boost that child’s self-esteem. This is just one parenting strategy. Your parenting skills will improve as you practice this. Talking about building your relationship with your child, rewards can help to do this.

3. Listening

When your child talks to you, do you listen? Do you form a judgment before your children have finished talking? Sometimes children just need someone to listen to them. Several parenting issues and parenting problems can occur, because of not listening effectively. Everyone does not know how to listen. Sometimes you can be so much into getting your point across that you forget to listen.

4. Choices

Everyone need to have some choices. You cannot control your children 24 hours a day. Your children make choices everyday, but it is important that you allow them to make choices rather than telling them everything to do.

5. Hugs & Kisses

No matter how old they get, they need affection and touch. Honest, positive affirmations. I say honest because you don’t want to fake it.

6. Unrealistic Expectations

Evaluate and revaluate what it is that you expect from your child. Keep in mind that this is a child not an adult. Can your child achieve what you expect? Are you expecting too much? Sometimes if you push and expect too much from your child, you child will just give up and say, “ I just can’t please my parents.” “Nothing I do is ever enough.” Does this sound familiar? Have you ever heard anyone say this?