Kid Whisperer Nation Tips for Parents #41-45
Kid Whisperer Nation Tip for Parents # 41
YOU HAVE DANGEROUS EVIL IN YOU
Human history tells us that all human beings have the capacity to do fantastic amounts of good, and to do a horrible amount of evil. This includes you. This includes me. People do things that can be bad for others not because they are all bad, but because they get to a state of mind where their brain is shut off, where bad things seem like good ideas.
Not allowing our kids to do things that make us angry or frustrated is a major component of not doing evil: screaming, yelling, insulting, belittling, or worse. Being strict in this way allows you to be more loving and to do more good.
Kid Whisperer Nation Tip for Parents #42
DON’T ADD, JUST TAKE AWAY
(AND JUST SHUT UP ABOUT IT ALREADY)
If you feel like your kid is doing anything too much, whether it’s TV, video games, or another activity, just take it away. Don’t try to list a bunch of reasons or stress about how your kid might react. Just tell your kid they will be taking a break from it. If they ask when they can get it back, just say, “Someday!”
It’s not your job to explain parental decisions. Without technology or whatever activity it is, your kids will have to entertain themselves with something else.
Kid Whisperer Nation Tip for Parents #43
YOUR KIDS WILL NOT ENJOY THEIR CHORES
Why in the world would they? Chores are terrible. No one likes them. The chores you give your kids will be some of the worst jobs that need to be done around the house. That's why we give them to our kids: SO WE DON'T HAVE TO DO THEM. That's life, kids. Having to do crappy jobs every day is an important part of growing up. Your kids’ opinion about their chores could not be more irrelevant. Life is full of crappy jobs. If your kid grows up doing them, maybe they will become an adult who does not feel the need to tell their first employer that he needs to create a more comfortable environment whereby your kid can do only the tasks he or she enjoys.
Kid Whisperer Nation Tip for Parents #44
KEEP YOUR CUTE ADVICE TO YOURSELF
You are only raising your own kid(s). You don't know what other parents are going through with their kids who may be significantly more difficult than yours. Cute advice that basically amounts to, "Just love your kids and things will work out!” is an unhelpful and often intentionally passive-aggressive way to tell someone that their kids are messed up because they don’t love them enough. If you can't say something helpful and nice, don't say anything at all.
Kid Whisperer Nation Tip for Parents #45
ALLOWING HURTFUL STUFF ISN'T NICE
Trying to be the "cool" parent by allowing your kids to see, play, or consume things that you know will hurt them is not nice. It's mean. It will make your kid's life worse. What is "hurtful stuff?” That's up to you, and you get to decide what it is. Do what you think is right for your kid, according to your values, not the values of your kid or of other people.