How not to spoil your child

Raising a happy child is every parent’s dream, which is why parents do everything possible to fulfill their children’s dreams and make them happy. It is a beautiful feeling to see your child growing happy and healthy. But, it is equally important that you avoid spoiling your child with some common mistakes that parents sometimes don’t realize are leading to spoiling a child.

Overindulging

When you don’t miss giving your child everything he/she desires without ever saying ‘no’, you miss teaching them self-control or self-discipline. It is common for children to desire everything that they see other kids have. If parents try to satisfy their children by giving in to all of their demands, it results in overindulgence, which is the root of bad attitude such as disrespect and self-centredness.

Not limiting screen time

Too much screen time is not safe for your child’s health as well as behavior. Limiting screen time is very important to have a good relationship with your child. The harmful effects of prolonged screen time are obesity, sleep problems, and emotional and behavioral problems. Though technology is a part of life and can’t be entirely avoided, it is a parent’s responsibility to set a healthy limit on screen time.

Not letting your child get bored

Keeping children constantly engaged with scheduled activities to avoid boredom keeps them from discovering their interests and potential. Allow them to get creative during their free time with their choice of activity and make use of their imagination.

Negative judgment

When we rush to judge a child and apply labels without trying to know the cause of the behavior, we react but fail to respond positively. We don’t realize the effect of the words we use in our judgment, while the child feels the effect. When children are repeatedly judged for everything they do, they grow up with hurt feelings, which has an impact on their behavior.

False praise

It is important to encourage children and appreciate them. But praising them too much and when it’s not right to do so, can teach them not to appreciate others and also become less resilient. Encouraging children and appreciating their efforts or behavior helps them develop self-confidence. When they are wrong or need to improve, it is important to sincerely and politely let them know about it. This helps them develop a sense of responsibility and discipline.

Raising well-mannered kids doesn’t mean you must say ‘No’ to everything. It is important to understand their developmental needs and maintain a balance. Watching our own behavior is crucial to teaching our children to behave well. It is important that when children grow up, they are able to handle their adulthood with responsibility and confidence, have healthy relationships, and live happy life. The life skills required for such adulthood, are learned since childhood, and parenting plays a prominent role in it.