How to Ensure Your Love & Affection Drives Your Kid on the Right Path?
posted on Apr 17, 2021
As parents, most of us raise our kids by showering them with loads of love and affection. And certainly, that does bring a significant impact on their behavior and emotional development. Of course, pampering your child with love and affection is a must. But despite the best intentions from parents, it has been seen that some children develop stubbornness and turn a lot self-centred. This often makes the parents question their own parenting styles and beliefs, and many even begin to feel guilty about not being able to raise their kids aptly.
At Gurukul The School, one among the best schools in Ghaziabad, we understand that though different parents adopt different parenting styles, none leave any stones unturned in raising their kids well. As such, there is nothing to feel guilty about if your little one starts behaving in a not-so-appropriate way. In fact, it is quite normal for most kids to start paying more attention to themselves as they grow up. However, there is a fine line between self-focus and being self-centered, and it is important for children to understand that. And for that to happen, it is crucial for you to keep a note that your little one is not misusing your love and affection towards him/her for fulfilling his/her undue wishes. Your overtly abundant love and affection can impact your child in ways you never expected.
Hence, if you find your child becoming stubborn and self-absorbed, it is high time you make the right moves to help tune your kid into being altruistic.
Keep a close eye on your child’s behavior
It is necessary to pay attention to even the minute changes in your child’s behavior. When you happen to see your child becoming more jealous of his/her siblings or peers, be aware of how he/she might become selfish in the future. Try to sort out things at an early stage and make them understand that their thoughts are not rational and such behavior will not be encouraged. Remember to draw a hard line around their behavior but not on their feelings. Be considerate with their feelings and help them overcome any misunderstandings or envy issues.
Recognize and stop the behavior
The first step towards curbing stubbornness in children is to identify it as a problem that must be controlled and not merely as a tantrum. And the next action should be to decide to try and stop that behavior. It might be hard at times, but remember that such behavior can completely rob your child’s character in the future. Get to recognize what behavior contributes to your child’s attitude and why they behave the way they do. Once you get into that underlying issue, you can easily tune your child into becoming a better person.
Help them regulate their emotions
Children who are unable to handle their anger issues tend to become more stubborn and self-centered as they grow up. It is hence important that you teach your child anger management and emotional regulation right from their childhood years. If your child shows frequent angry outbursts and becomes anxious over his/her expectations, it is time to take action and understand what catalyzes the kid’s emotions so that you can help him/her prevent becoming stubborn and disobedient.
Try and nurture empathy
Self-centered children are highly sensitive to their own feelings but are remarkably insensitive to the feelings of others. As such, nurturing empathy will help them grow into more generous, unselfish, and caring personalities. Emphasize and educate children from their young years about the importance of empathy. Through simple acts of showing them how to reciprocate to other people and also by offering words of encouragement or reassurance, you can easily instill empathy in your child’s behavior.
We, at Gurukul The School, regarded as the Best School in Ghaziabad, firmly believe that parenting styles remain a firm pillar for the child’s character and personality development. When parents overtly indulge with their children and keep showering them with their love and affection even when they behave inappropriately, they often fail to teach the kids the difference between right and wrong. Since parents form the very first and most impactful teachers for the kids, parental negligence of behavior teaching ends up impacting the children adversely, and they gradually grow into stubborn and self-centered personalities. Hence, make sure that your love and affection are not turning up as a hindrance in the behavior modification of your kids. Rather, use it up appropriately to make the kids learn the virtues of generosity, empathy, and humility.