BT August 2019

Baby & Toddler
Love For Life
9. Why are you so lazy?
Children are rarely lazy for it is
naturally against their nature to be
so. In fact, as parents, it’s our duty to
actually provide them with activities
to keep them moving! So, perhaps
instead of accusing, you should be
wondering, what went wrong here?
Often, there's an underlying reason as
to why they aren't able to accomplish
what's being asked of them. As a parent,
you are actually attacking your child's
self-esteem and self-worth with this
statement. And let's face it, none of us
have ever been motivated to do better
by being called lazy.
10. Stop being such a baby
You can't expect kids to act like adults
because they're not adults. If a child
is exhibiting a behavior that seems
babyish, look at the situation. Often
they revert to old behaviors when
they're nervous, anxious, or scared.
Instead of shaming them, listen to
what they have to say, and help them
address their feelings - that would go a
long way in helping them regulate their
emotions as they grow and develop.
11. Don’t make me tell your dad/mom
about this
‘Telling the other parent’, just like time
out or taking things away and other
threats are often default discipline
techniques that most of us practice
without much thought. It seems to
work, for a while. When a parent sets
a limit however, they should always
be prepared to follow through, so don't
threaten anything you won't actually
do, like turn the car around on a trip to
somewhere special, because your child
isn’t behaving. In fact, setting a limit
and not following through may actually
serve to maintain rather than repair
unbecoming behaviours in children.
12. Do you know how sad you’re
making me feel now?
Children are not responsible for their
parents' emotional well-being! (read:
parents are responsible for their
children's well-being, not the other
way around.) While it's important
for children to understand that their
behavior affects other people, it's
developmentally inappropriate and
emotionally strenuous to ask that they
act a certain way out of a sense of
responsibility for their parents' feelings.
BabyTalk | August 2019 81