August 25th, 2017
Parenting a child is by far the hardest and most unpredictable venture in life. Why? Because there is no manual on “how to be the best parent.” We just take what we’ve learned from our parents (how they raised us), gather some questionable “how-to” books, and fly by the seat of our pants. While we may make our way through the journey of parenting with our heads above water, most of us often ask, “Am I doing this right?”
For the purpose of this article, let’s think of parenting like cooking or baking. Most complex recipes have a fairly large ingredient list. Raising a child can be compared to this wherein there are many elements to parenting and many ways to approach parenting; however, without these two elements, you are likely to run into issues/problems with your kiddo as a child, teen, or potentially an adult. At best, they may just mouth off/be defiant, be cold/distant/ignore you, or pretend like everything is “fine” when in reality they’re suffering inside. At worst, their negative behaviors may become ingrained and lead to behavioral and mental disorders that can have a negative and long-lasting impact on them over their lifetime.
So, what are these two magical ingredients? Love and Structure. These two seemingly opposing elements originate from the structural family therapy model that deems that a healthy and effective hierarchy in a family household (a boundary that distinguishes the parents from children) includes both a “hard” side and a “soft” side; the hard—rules, consequences, structure and boundaries, and the soft—nurturing and soothing pain and helping them feel loved and needed.
So often, parents view these two ingredients as “either/or.” However, one aspect without the other will likely lead to only short-term positive outcomes and allow for more long-term, detrimental consequences. If you provide only the “hard” and enforce rules and punishments without offering emotional comfort and compassionate love, your young one may obey yet develop self-esteem or anger problems and receive the message “I am bad,” vs. “My behavior is bad.” On the flip side, if you provide emotional comfort and love absent of structure, discipline, and boundaries, your child may not learn to appreciate authority/rules and be more likely to develop behavioral and academic problems. However, with both of these essential elements, your child will be more likely to grow up happy and successful (with a more positive view of themselves), be respectful, considerate, and kind towards others, make healthy decisions, and evaluate safety risks on their own.
Trying to provide both the “soft” and the “hard” side to your youngster at the same time may seem like a confusing and daunting task. Here are some general guidelines and examples to help you get a clearer picture of what implementing both sides look like:
1. RULES.
Establish, inform, and physically write down/make visible the rules/expectations he/she is expected to follow (I suggest hanging it on the fridge- very visible!)
2. CONSEQUENCES
Establish, inform, write down, and make visible (for kids to see) the consequences that will follow if he/she does not comply with the abovementioned rules/expectations
3. REWARDS
Establish, inform, and write down/make visible the rewards he/she will receive if they DO complete/follow the rules/expectations
4. CLEAR UNDERSTANDING
Make sure your young one knows/understands the rules/expectations, consequences, and rewards
5. INFORMING/ENFORCING CONSEQUENCES
If (or unfortunately when) your child/teen breaks a rule, GENTLY and CALMLY remind them of the consequences and your obligation to enforce them.
6. OFFER QUALITY TIME
Offer an alternative quality-time activity for you both to do together
7. GIVING REWARDS
If (and yes, when) your child/teen follows a rule and behaves, reward them with their award and praise them for their good behavior!
Just like making a recipe entails uniqueness and individuality, there are many ways to go about raising your child in a healthy way. If you are having trouble with your child/teen and are interested in seeking therapy please contact Clarity Clinic to learn about our therapists who specialize in working with children, adolescents, and their parents (families).
Written By: Natalie Stanish, Associate Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist
REFERENCES
Sells, P. (1998). Treating the tough adolescent. New York, NY: Guildford Press.
Wetchler, J. L. (2003). Structural family therapy. In L. L. Hecker & J. L. Wetchler (Eds.), An introduction to marriage and family therapy (pp. 63-94). New York, NY: Haworth Press.
Plotnik, R. & Kouvoumdiian, H. (2010). Introduction to psychology. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Publishing
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