Avoiding Kids’ Anger
Before I took effective parenting courses, I did what I could to avoid my kids’ being unhappy or mad. I thought that was what a good mother was supposed to do. Once I got educated, I realized what a disservice I was actually doing to my children. For one thing, when you live your life avoiding anger or disappointment from kids, they realize it and are completely in charge of the family. For another, they come to expect you to work really hard at making their lives good and fun, and are quite resentful when things don’t go the way they would like them to go. Now you have a child with a big sense of entitlement. (Kids with entitlement issues are not happy people.) You have also robbed your child of learning how to make him/herslef happy…..a necessary character trait if you want your child to function optimally in life.
So, when you find yourself wanting to keep your kids happy or do what it takes to avoid their anger, remember that you are actually doing damage. Kids that are the happiest are the ones who can experience and handle disappointment and limits.