Consequences
Earlier today, my son got mad over a lost toy. He refused to eat and listen to me. This was one of the times when I found it challenging to discipline him.
I am almost always torn between being authoritative and gentle. I worry that raising my voice even slightly will have a negative effect on him. But I’m also not always convinced that gentle parenting works. There’s a third option though, one I resort to more often than I’d like. The silent treatment.
It’s bad, I know. I hate even thinking about it. And I really should be better.
I haven’t learned how to strike a balance between the first two options and when they do not work, I go back to my default of avoiding confrontations.
I know every response will yield a consequence, whether positive or negative. And each will impact or shape him in one way or another. So I guess I need to figure out which version of myself he needs in which situation.
Parenting is hard.