Over the years, I have tolerated a lot of snide comments about how I am ruining my child (and the world) by choosing to forgo punishments and rewards in favor of something less controlling.
I have also seen and heard a lot of banter on the internet begging instructing parents on "how not to raise an asshole."
It appears there's a lot of sanctimonious judgment of children (and parents) floating around in cyberspace these days.
So, I thought I'd jot down a couple of quick tips that I've come to rely on in my own parenting journey.
After asking, "How do I stop the negative behavior?" most parents ask, "How do I stop reacting?"
Once you understand and expect that children will cry, whine, resist, and push and you realize it isn't your job to fix anything - the next logical question is "Well, then how do I stop getting so angry?"
It is the peeling of an onion.
I don't know that we can stop getting angry as much as we can shift to a state of responsibly managing our anger and initiating repair when our fury affects our children.