|
How Parents and Children Raise Each Other
Parents exercise considerable influence over their children, but they are not unaffected by interactions with children. Infants provide cues such as crying and reinforce parental responses by smiling. They initiate social encounters and may exert greater influence on their caretakers than the other way around. Who else can get adults to change their entire pattern of activity and sleep?
It is very important for parents to be responsive to children rather than reactive to their cues and behaviors. Anticipating and avoiding opportunities for misbehavior is a more effective discipline strategy than reacting to misbehavior.
Studies have shown that parents who accomodate their style of discipline to the child's behavior and temperament in a responsive way makes parenting less difficult. Being kind and firm is a good choice when dealing with children.
What are ways you have noticed your children raising you?
This starts in infancy and continues throughout the stages of childhood through adolescence!
|