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As parents, we want to do the best for our children. We tend to have high expectations out of them and to achieve that, there are several tactics that parents use to help them grow into fine individuals. But despite having the best intentions, we might go too far in the name of disciplining our child. It could be because we’ve other parents do it or we have grown up watching our parents do it to us. But that doesn’t give us the leverage to do certain things in the name of “parenting”. If you want your child to grow up to be emotionally stable, thoughtful, and confident individuals, we have rounded up the 5 common mistakes most parents end up making:
1. Swearing At Your Kids
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When you swear at your child in anger, your kid thinks that it’s okay to express their emotions this way. And chances are they may swear back at you at some point when they are mad. So, unless you want your child to pick up on this behavior and do the same to his friends/peers/family, it’s best to steer clear of swearing at them or in front of them. And since kids are sensitive beings, it’s important to realize that words can be hurtful and cause them emotional pain. They may lose their sense of worth and have low self-esteem because of it.
2. Comparing Your Child With Others
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Comparing your child with others is a common practice among most parents. Parents constantly compare their children to their friends, relatives, neighbors, or someone from their school. We think that by comparing them, we are in turn motivating kids to work harder and achieve good grades. But all comparing does is make our kids lose faith in themselves, and in some cases, even resent the child we are comparing them to. Kids who are constantly compared to others also tend to have low-self esteem as they are indirectly told they aren’t as good enough as others. If you want your child to excel in their studies or extracurricular activities, instead of doing this harmful deed, find other means that would motivate and encourage them to do better.
3. Hitting Your Child
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You may have found hitting to be useful in disciplining your child, but this can lead to harmful effects in the long run. Kids tend to listen to their parents out of fear of getting hit. By doing this, you are teaching them it’s okay to hit somebody if one thinks they have the authority to. They also learn to use physical force and violence to resolve conflicts instead of communicating calmly and effectively.
4. Always Letting Them Have Their Way
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Raising a child can be tough. Some parents may want to give their children everything they could. But as parents, it is important to be kind and firm at the same time. Parents need to set clear boundaries for their kids. It is for us to decide what they can and cannot have instead of giving them everything they ask for. Such practices may cause detrimental effects on kids later in life. A child who was raised without any limitations or restrictions may tend to be spoilt and rude as adults.
5. Criticizing Your Child In Front Of Others
This is one thing most children experience growing up, especially if they have Indian parents. Criticizing your child in front of others, whether you do it subtly or strongly can have adverse effects on them. Though sometimes done unknowingly, most parents fail to realize that it is a form of emotional abuse.
If you have done the above things in the past knowingly or unknowingly, we hope our post has helped you understand its consequences and paved a new way in raising your kids with love, kindness, and compassion instead.
Mitha Shameer
