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Establishing limits or boundaries for our children is a necessary part of our role as parents and teachers. Yet for many, saying no to our children\u2019s requests or implementing rules has become one of our most difficult jobs. In many cases we have inadvertently created this problem by occasionally giving in to the various manipulative tools that our children have available. Arguing, tantrums, crying, feigned illness, debates, \u201cit\u2019s not fair\u201d, \u201cbut you said\u201d, \u201cbut everyone has one\u201d, lying, \u201cwe have no homework\u201d, \u201cI\u2019ll do it later, I\u2019m too tired\u201d \u2026and the list goes on. Do you ever wonder where all these strategies for not listening come from, why they keep occurring over and over again and what we as parents can do to manage the excuses or oppositional behavior? Some aspect of a child\u2019s need to test limits, push against boundaries, or oppose our rules, is built into the developmental process as a way of learning about their world. It\u2019s a type of investigation which is needed for healthy growth, and which parents have to manage in a way that doesn\u2019t overly frustrate or inhibit the child\u2019s exploration. In a sense we have to encourage their efforts to test the limits, while also making sure that we wisely maintain boundaries and sustain our ability to say \u201cno\u201d. Some strategies that have proven to be effective in managing this process include:<\/p>\n
Establishing limits or boundaries for our children is a necessary part of our role as parents and teachers. Yet for many, saying no to our children\u2019s requests or implementing rules has become one of our most difficult jobs. In many cases we have inadvertently created this problem by occasionally \u2026 Continue reading