A parent wants nothing but the best for their kid. It is a commonly shared desire to mold your child in a way that allows them to succeed as they continue walking on the dotted line of life. However, well-behaved, well-mannered, and understanding children are rare. Not many are born with such qualities. This makes it hard for a parent to deal with their life while managing a kid who is hell-bent on complicating everything. This leads to disciplinary actions; however, many excellent caregivers become afraid of a negative outcome. Many wonder if their child will grow up to resent them for their actions, or will it strain the relationship that had just begun to blossom?
We, at health2delivery, prioritize the mental health of individuals, and we are well aware of how new parents experience challenges and hardships during their journey. It is essential to try different parenting methods to make sure you do not feel down all the time. Although disciplinary actions are not widespread, there comes a time where you just have to do it. When you reach that point and want to cross over to the side – keep these 5 valuable tips that will ensure your kid will not resent you after taking disciplinary measures in mind.
5 Tips for Avoiding Resentment After Disciplining Your Children
Keep in mind that positive parenting can impact your kid, and you bring several changes into your life that will allow your children to adapt to other people’s routines, behavior, and more. For example, with the help of positive parenting, the focus on discipline increases, and you will raise a child who follows the rules and treats people with respect – not due to fear instilled in them but because it is an ethical thing to do.
1. Explaining Rationale Behind the Decision
As adults, we sometimes fail to grasp the exact rationale behind situations in our everyday lives. Now, imagine you are a wee kid, and your world is limited to your parents only. So, when this figure in your life who you consider your best friend, companion, and parent expresses some intense disappointment as well as anger towards you – you are entitled to feel confused and hurt. This hurt continues to build when the parent figure continues to use disciplinary actions without explaining why and what they are doing. That is why it is vital to calmly express your feelings towards the situation and explain everything that occurs. Do not make the child guess or assess the situation like a puzzle. Make sure your intent, reason, and the cause behind your actions are always transparent and being understood by your child – otherwise, there is no point in it.
2. Do Not Bring Up Past Mistakes
Once you have disciplined your children concerning a specific mistake or wrongdoing, try your best not to bring up the supposed mistake unnecessarily. Put yourself in their shoes; you would not like to be reminded of when you made a mistake and disappointed your loved ones. Plus, it feels counterproductive to address the past error verbally. As cliche as it might sound, forgive and forget. What is done can not be undone, and you do not need to remind them of it constantly. Instead, give your child space to improve and enhance their decision-making skills.
3. Show Affection
Most of the time, parents make the mistake of not showing affection to their children as a form of punishment. However, all this behavior indicates that you treat love and affection as a privilege. It is your duty to love and respect your child unconditionally as a parent. Now, whether they make mistakes or not – withholding acts of love can prove to be very damaging to the sacred relationship you have with your child as a parent. Remember, you want to discipline them to improve their characteristics, not teach them the ropes to unhealthy, abusive bonds with others.
4. Aim for Empathy
It is crucial to strive for empathy in cases of misbehavior. Since a child has not learned how to communicate or express their feelings freely, many use the way they act as an outlet. You can discipline your kid for misbehavior, of course. But, try to relate to them and understand the reasoning behind their actions, as well.
5. Set Boundaries and Provide Reassurance
Sometimes, it gets too hectic to juggle your own life and deal with your kid’s bad behavior as a parent. That is why you need to set boundaries and softly explain the importance of personal space and time to them. Once you have established limits, you can continue to avoid resentment through constant acts of reassurance to make sure your kid feels loved, safe, and comforted by their parent.