Kingston Primary School eNewsletter

POSITIVE PARENTING

Parent Traps.

By Professor Matt Sanders

It’s tough being a parent but it’s easy to fall into one of the common parenting traps:

The criticism trap is when there are frequent power struggles with your child. The situations escalate from criticising to threatening and yelling. This type of discipline often backfires. The parent’s anger makes the child and parent resentful and hostile. If these kinds of battles take place frequently, it's time to try a new way of handling the situation.
The “leave them alone” trap involves the parent simply not acknowledging their child when they are behaving well. If good behaviour is taken for granted it may be replaced with the misbehaviour that receives more attention. A basic principle of positive parenting is to praise behaviours you would like to see more often.
The “for the sake of the children” trap occurs when parents in unhappy marriages stick doggedly to the same marriage routines, for the sake of the children, rather than addressing the problems constructively.
The perfect parent trap. There is no such thing as a perfect parent and trying to be one will only lead to disappointment, resentment, guilt, and feelings of inadequacy.
The martyr trap is one where parents become so over-involved in the task of parenting they neglect their own needs. The parents’ relationship suffers and may end in feeling

There is a Triple P session coming up on the 22nd of June from 9:15-11:15 at the Leschenault Leisure Centre. Please register online at: https://www.triplep-parenting.net.au/au-uken/find-help/find-a-session/2021-06-22/seminar/power-of-positive-parenting/109308/