Scarleteen

Almost everyone has had an experience where they've seen a parent or guardian responding to their child's behavior in a way that they don't agree with or wouldn't do themselves. It could be someone letting their kids scream in a grocery store or a rule about not watching TV after dinner. And even though you might not be thinking about having kids at that moment, or ever, you think to yourself, I don't like the way they did that. That's not a tool that I want to put into my toolbox.

But have you ever had the opposite experience? Have you ever seen someone talk to their child/teenager in a way where you thought to yourself, I like that.. I might like to do that one day if I ever had a kid. Are there any family/household rules that you've had or that others' families have had that you have particularly liked?

Good post, al! Working with children all day means I see a lot of both sides of this situation. The good parenting tool that stands out in particular to me has been when a child excitedly tells their parent about something, and the parent responds with the same level of excitement. Even when it's something totally mundane by an adults' standards. I think it's really great for parents to encourage their child's interests so much, and it helps boosts kids' sense of self-esteem. It reminds me that when I was growing up, I didn't get that a lot of the time, and I know how much I would have benefited. And I see how much the children DO benefit!

Great question! I am a new mom (my son is 9 weeks old) but, since finding out I was pregnant, I found myself much more aware of other parents. One thing that has stood out to me most is parents who don't immediately respond to bad behavior with anger, raised voices, and judgement. I have seen several instances of parents gently explaining why the behavior is wrong, how it does not make the world a better place, and then asking the child to explain this back in their own words. It provides a way for the child to learn while also taking responsibility for more than just themselves.