When it comes to raising children, establishing authority is very important. Children need a sense of authority structure in their lives so that they can grow into well-rounded adults. Children who are raised in an environment where authority is established tend to become well-adjusted adults compared to children who are raised in an environment without any authority figures.
In simpler terms, children need parents to be in charge and implement consequences. They need to be loving and fair in order to build a healthy relationship with their children. Parents should set strict rules, but not to the point of being overly strict or overprotective. What a child needs is a sense of security, which comes naturally when parents show they are in control.
Although there may be times when children seem to want to be in charge, they actually know that they are not cut out for the job. They know they are incapable of being in charge, so they need parents to have authority. For children to feel loved and secure, they need parents who are confident and take charge and make decisions.
Raising your children in an environment where parental authority is evident gives them the opportunity to understand and appreciate acceptance. It will inspire your children to learn and discover new things at their own will. When you show them firm but flexible parental authority, they are inspired to develop their abilities and maximize their own potential.
One way to effectively establish parental authority is to use positive reinforcement. Even adults respond well to rewards and tend to repeat behavior that brings them rewards or pleasure. But then again, some parents have trouble giving their children positive reinforcement: it can make children dependent on rewards, thus defeating the purpose of continuing the good behavior entirely.
If you want to avoid such a scenario, there is a solution for that: keep logs. Most parents found record keeping to be very effective in allowing their children to repeat appropriate behavior. On the record, the child will have to perform a certain number of good deeds first before a reward is given. You can use a bookmark or gold stars to indicate each good deed done.
However, beyond the tables and rewards, the most important thing you should give your children to demonstrate parental authority is love. You need to show your authority with love because of all things, it is love that they need the most. So even when you personally don’t agree with certain rules that your kids must follow, act like you do when you know it’s actually for the best.
Going against the rules and other authority figures will only confuse your children. Worse yet, it will make them feel like it’s okay to disagree with the rules whenever they want to.