The Differences Between Positive and Permissive Parenting
A common misconception to positive parenting- or freeing your kids -is that your children have the right to do whatever they want. Countless times I see this heatedly debated.
Often times the argument I see is, what is right for one family may not be right for another. While this is true, setting limits and boundaries is an important part of parenting.
Now, I am not one for rules. I HATE rules. I see rules as things to be pushed and tested. As limits to possibilities. This is my personality. It does not however mean that rules have no place.
Consider the words of Nelson Mandela when he said, "For to be free is not to merely cast off one's chains, but, to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others..."
I was recently asked when discussing this quote if respect is a natural or learned behavior. My thoughts are that it is learned. That respect is based on a response to a relationship, whether that be with self or another, and is defined by culture and society. I am still debating this one out in my mind. If you have any thoughts on this please share in the comments.
With empathetic rules and boundaries, a peaceful parent teaches their child about respect through their developmental stages.
As a child's development progresses, their needs and wants also change. For an infant what they need and what they want are the same thing. By the time that infant is a toddler, the story is different. Their needs may conflict their wants. All of a sudden they are emerged in a world of emotions and independence that they might not be sure how to navigate. At this stage they are developing a sense of self. Not a sense of the world. Not a sense of consequences. Just a sense of who they are and what they can do.