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When it comes to parenting, consistency is the name of the game. You’ve got to lay down the rules and teach your kids about the facts of life. But once you do that, don’t waver. Kids notice, and they get confused and what you say is diminished in value.
Set good rules and follow them yourself. Show your child that you mean business with the rules. So much so that you’ll abide by them, too. If your child sees you acting how you expect your child to act, they’ll be more likely to behave properly.
Kids will try to get you to bend on the rules. So be prepared. They’ll try everything in the book to get you to let them do something they know they’re normally not allowed to do. But remember, if you fold, there will be plenty of other times when your child will want you to bend the rules again. And how will you handle THAT situation?
Your child will look for your moments of weakness. They’ll wait until you’re particularly tired or worn out. Or they’ll wait for a time right after they’ve done something really nice or really good. Then they’ll ask for you to bend the rules on them.
The best thing for you to do is to stick to your guns. Make a pact with yourself that no matter how you’re feeling or what the situation is, that you’ll stick with the rules that you’ve laid out. Tell yourself that you won’t bend, and that will diminish the number of times that your child will ask for the rules to be bent and will improve your child’s behavior and ability to follow rules.
The other thing to keep in mind is that you can change the rules. Just be consistent. If you think a particular rule needs to be changed, think it over and make an educated decision. Rules can be changes. But if you change them, go ahead and keep the new rules in tact.
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