What Your Teacher Wants You To Know

Passive or gentle parenting is setting children up for failure and it is an epidemic. 

As a preschool teacher I have seen the decline in children over the past nine years. They can no longer focus, there is no attention span. They DO NOT care if you, an adult is asking for their attention, they can't sit for a 10 minute circle time without talking, moving around, touching or talking to their friend, interrupting, disrupting or just making noises. 

9 years ago I could do kindergarten work with my toddler class who were 2-3 years old. Now with a class who are 3.5 - 4.5 years old they are incapable of sitting or playing at a center for more than 3 minutes. I believe this has to do with the onset of tablet kids and kids who are being raised by passive panrets. 

Kids who now watch shorts and then scroll to the next thing are bored easily. They have no respect for adults, their friends, things that aren't theirs, or anything else. They hit rather than use their words to voice their wishes and are very self-indulgent wanting only what they want. 

Many parents are explaining too much, offering choices then reneging when their child doesn't chose what was offered. Children want structure and boundaries and your boundaries have to reflect something that is a win for both of you. It has to be a boundary your child and you can live with. Don't offer a boundary that you yourself cannot live with. Like don't say "if you don't do this, we are not going to blah blah" if you will be going regardless. Give your child choices and stick with it. 

When you don't follow through with what you are saying you will, your child loses respect for you and themselves and will push the envelope even further next time. 

By not setting up boundaries and giving all the power to your child you don't show them that there are rules and expectations in life and they must be met or you will lose your job, relationship, fail school, etc. 

Children must be exposed to rules, boundaries and expectations at an early age or they will not understand. We all know the world is a big scary place at time. If you grow up in a world of no boundaries where you the child is in charge you flounder through life and grow to think that everything will bend at your whim but we all know that is not right. Life is hard. We have a world of anxious teens who are afraid of their own shadow. Parenting is NOT for the weak at heart. Sometimes it is loud and that is okay. You are not going to always be here and your child has to grow up and blend into society, be someone others want to be around. 

Teach with Love In Your Heart!