WEEK 3, OCTOBER 2023
📝GOMT MID-WEEK ARTICLE✍️ & PRAYERS 🙏 FOR PARENTS & GUARDIANS.
This week we will be talking about how to stop bad parenting.
TOPIC: *WHAT CAN YOU DO TO STOP BAD PARENTING?*
Although negative parenting behaviors can put children at risk, it’s not the only factor that determines outcomes.
Even parents with a positive style of discipline and interaction can have children who struggle with behavioral or emotional issues.
Just like a single bad day doesn’t make you a bad parent, doing the best you can doesn’t mean that your child will never have challenges, And that’s OK.
▪️Follow these guidelines carefully step by step and it will help you on how you can stop bad parenting with easy.
1. *LISTEN TO YOUR CHILD’s THOUGHTS AND FEELINGS.*👌
We all want to be heard. And although we do not always agree with what others say, *Frederick says “we all need someone to listen to us.”*
When it comes to your kids, she says to hear their concerns and frustrations, validate their feelings, and explain that they have a right to be angry — but not to act out (like throwing their crayons across the room). Instead, provide alternatives for them for different emotions.
2. *PROVIDE APPROPRIATE CONSEQUENCES.*
*When using discipline, it’s critical to provide consequences that teach your child a positive lesson*. “Hitting a child teaches them nothing about consequences, and can result in resentment and anger, together with that child going to school and hitting other children,” she says.
*Instead, use a rewards chart or have them earn time doing something they enjoy.*👍
When taking something away, do not take it away for a week, instead, take it away for the afternoon. *Make sure that the consequence is suitable for the behavior you’re correcting.* ✅
3. *LABEL THE BEHAVIOR, NOT THE CHILD.*👌
*“If parents want to ‘label,’ they should make sure that they’re labeling behavior, not character,”*
*For example, when a child is acting out, remind them that it’s the behavior of a bully, rather than saying, “You ARE a bully.”*👌
4. *DON’T WITHHOLD ATTENTION.*
We all get angry with our children, but Frederick *“says ignoring them only confuses a child.* “Explain that you are angry, and although you are angry with them, you still love them,” she explains.
If you need a moment, try putting them in time out (1 minute for every age they are) and calm down, collecting your thoughts and feelings.
5. *SHOW LOVE AND AFFECTION.*
Displaying love and affection means more than just telling your child that you love them. *It also comes from supporting and accepting your child, being physically affectionate, and spending quality time together.*
6. *LET THEM MAKE MISTAKES.*
Life is messy, so let your children explore being creative and making mistakes, without shaming or criticizing. *When they make a mistake, ask your child, “What could you have done differently?”*
Use your own mistakes as an opportunity to show them that learning never stops, and that we can all have our bad days. Admitting when you’ve made a mistake, apologizing, and trying to improve is good for everyone.
Prayer Point: 🙏
▪️Father grant me wisdom, knowledge and skill to be effective in parenting…. Proverbs 8:12-23
Compiled by: Solomon Champion
GIANTS OF MY TIME(GOMT)
