Parental authority should involve:
- Leadership: Kids need to know when to follow. A strong sense of leadership in their lives will help them feel secure in other things and allow them to develop into well balanced individuals who understand the importance of following someone else’s lead but also what it is to lead others.
- Nurturing: Children need to feel loved and supported if they’re going to develop into healthy and well functioning members of the population. Kids who know they are loved and secure at home are more likely to be confident and accepting of rules outside of the home. Praise your kids and make sure all their good features are compliment often.
- Discipline: Children need to understand that there are consequences to their actions and that negative behaviour will lead to negative results. This will lead to a strong understanding of what’s right and what’s wrong and allow the development of morals. Make sure not to be mindless with your discipline. Explain a punishment and make sure that the child’s never mystified as to why they’re being punished.
- Communication: It’s important in all aspects of life but especially important here. You’re not a faceless authority figure, you’re a figure of love and support. Yes, you sometimes have to punish but your kids should feel like they can talk to you whenever they want to. You’ve got to keep communication open with your kids and always explain why something they’ve done is wrong or indeed, right!