It’s amazing all of the books and articles available that offer different parenting methods for almost every childhood behavioral issue; it’s almost overwhelming. It seems that there is always a better method out there. As a parent, it’s easy to want to give up during difficult situations, however we need to take another look at ourselves, and see what we can do to help our children, rather than blame them for their misbehavior. It’s important to establish yourself as a leader in your household, one who shows authority and establishes trust from other family members.
This article, provided by the Montessori Teachers Institute for Professional Studies (MTIPS), gives examples of how to establish yourself as a “parent leader”, helping guide your children as “child disciples”.
Your actions should exude 4 attributes:
• You act like you know what you’re doing (You are decisive).
• You act like you know where you’re going (You have a vision that guides your decisions).
• You act like you know what you want your child to do (You are assertively direct: you don’t beat around the bush when it comes to giving instructions).
• You act like you know your child is going to obey and/or live up to your expectations (You are positive, optimistic, self–assured, and inspiring: you bring out the best in people).
And with you as the leader, your child becomes…your disciple. A disciple is someone who subscribes willingly to the authority of his or her teacher, who believes that the teacher speaks the truth, and that by following the teacher, his or her life will be greatly improved. A child-disciple then, is defined by four qualities:
• He knows he can rely on his parents (trust).
• He looks up to his parents (respect).
• He follows their lead (obedience).
• He subscribes to their values (loyalty)
Click to access Parent%20Leadership.pdf
Happy Parenting!
Healthy Beginnings Montessori 