This isn’t a parenting blog, but parenting affects all of us, parents and non-parents alike.
We were all kids once, and it’s instructive to reflect on our experiences so that we can both empathize with kids, understand ourselves better and even deal with employees more effectively.
Yes, that’s right. What’s good for kids is good for anyone who reports to you.
Consistency. Compassion. Boundaries.
And the things that are bad for kids are also bad for employees.
Inconsistency. Temper tantrums (yours, not theirs). Too much candy.
What appears but is not emphasized in the following article by Kathy Hardie-Williams is that the best parenting unequivocally entails discipline.
Rules and boundaries are enforced consistently, not as the mood strikes.
They’re applied not with frightening anger, but calmly and kindly.
Think of an iron hand in a velvet glove. It’s firm and soft at the same time.
Hard to achieve? That’s an understatement.
The easiest way to parent this way… is to have been parented this way.
Models are useful when it comes to interpersonal behavior. Or anything else, for that matter.
But education is the next best thing.
Authoritarian and Authoritative Parenting Styles: Which Is Best?
Great reminder that love includes good boundaries but doesn’t squash the kids in the process. To be firm and calm and not angry in limit setting is the challenge, esp in the teen years. 🙂