Nothing will make you lose your credibility as a parent faster, then when you are not consistent. This is one of my largest hurdles as a parent. The kids will be loud and on my last nerve, they will do one little thing to send me over the edge and boom, I have taken TV away for a week. The moment I say it, I feel regret. Their screen time is just as important to me as it is to them. Instead of letting them think they are off the hook, I tell them they can earn it back for good behavior. It's a horrible cycle to be in!
I knew I had to change my ways when, my oldest , started keeping track of everything I said. I would often hear something like this, " Uh mom, we can't make a cake tonight, you took dessert away for a week, because we didn't clean up our room, remember?" It would drive me crazy, I had the parent police on my tail!!
What I have found helpful is to have set punishments for certain behaviors. For instance, you call you sibling names, no dessert or you don't listen the first time, extra chores. Write out your desired punishments and place them where the kids can see them. Then in the heat of the moment, you won't lose all sanity and take away TV for a week and the kids will no what to expect, if they choose to break the rules.
Being consistent is a key characteristic in a good parent, but I feel one of the hardest to attain. Do you have any tips for keeping your credibility as a parent?
This is part of a 31 day series, you can read more here.
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