A magazine headlined the following: “DO KIDS HAVE TOO MUCH POWER? Yes, say many parents.”
Major points of the article include overindulgence and the coddling of children in an attempt to insulate them from any discomfort.
The article noted that it is a little ironic that the success and new found prosperity—the very accomplishments and good fortune that parents so desperately desire to share—actually put children at risk.
Indulged children are often less able to cope with stress because parents have created an atmosphere where their whims are indulged. Such children grow up assuming that they’re entitled and that life should be a bed of roses.
Young people manipulate parents by their constant asking —and thereby controlling the situation. Parents try to meet the desires of their children by continually responding—and thereby often becoming stressed themselves.
Here is the principle to remember: THE PERSON WHO ASKS THE QUESTION CONTROLS THE SITUATION.
You know this from your own conversations. When the person with whom you are speaking asks a question, the conversation is directed toward answering it. THE QUESTION DIRECTS THE CONVERSATION.
Become aware that this is the first step in taking control. Rather than the child doing the asking and the parent answering, the PARENT should be asking. Using this questioning approach, a young person is prompted to think, reflect, and make more responsible choices.
