He has always shared a room with his brother and recently said he wanted his own room, which we gave him much to the chagrin of little bro. It’s easy to give him the downtime he needs right now because he’s currently homeschooled, but I imagine that, for children who spend all day at school and then have busy evenings afterwards, this need may get neglected which could result in unwanted behavior.
3. Correction is needed less but relationship counts even more.
There are no tantrums over juice cups or toys. There is no hitting, pinching, or name-calling. Correction isn’t needed nearly as much as in those toddler and preschool years. I’m grateful I invested in positive parenting and building a strong relationship in those early years, because I’m quite certain my tween wouldn’t accept my counsel if I hadn’t.
What I came to understand years ago is just as true today – punishment is not the best course of discipline and it’s still just as important to look beyond behavior.
He recently did something that was unexpected and disappointing, and if my initial reaction had been to punish him, I would have completely missed a deeper issue that was behind his decision. Thankfully, I understand that behavior is just a clue, and we were able to get to the core issue and resolve it.
Top tips for being a positive parent to a tween:
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