MTV Parental Control 2008* "Dotsan"
Many parents will be only too familiar with this problem. Your child wants to do something, or play with something that is unsuitable or dangerous and when you try to stop them or take it away all hell breaks loose.
This is always one fo the biggest trials that any parent must face. It is recognized that high levels of parental tolerance accompanied with praise can help children to develop social competence and self confidence. But parents always need to remain in charge.
A toddler can typically be presented with up to 20 restrictions on their actions every hour. How would you like to be told what to do or what not to do once every three minutes?
Parental control is often needed when a child is doing what comes naturally but putting themselves or their peers at risk in the process. Putting a knife in their mouths, poking their baby brother in the eye or hanging out of a window are examples of how children may be investigating the world around them, but in a risky manner.
Providing the child with alternatives can be an excellent way to enable them to continue to investigate and learn. For example, you might simply exchange a metal knife for a plastic one or a spoon. Or get them to poke themselves in the eye so that they know how much it can hurt.
Alternatives can provide an effective way to head off a potentially tense situation, but they don’t always work. It’s a good idea to first acknowledge what the child is trying to do and then introduce them to the alternative. Engage the child with the alternative by making it appear more attractive than whatever it was the child was doing before.
There will be many occasions when it simply isn’t possible to provide alternatives and these can help to teach children that the world has its limits. Distracting children from risking or potentially harmful behvior with interesting and engaging alternatives will help to reinforce parental authority and teach them that altermatives are often available.
********************************************************
I recommend camping as a great way to bond with children, to provide them with freedom to investigate the world around them and engage with their parents or carers. But always remember to ensure safety by using the right camping equipment. You may like to take part in a bushcraft course where children will learn a variety of skills including how to handle a bushcraft knife, start a fire without matches and tracking skills.