Parents, Avoid Forcing Your Child To Doing These 6 Things

With our age and experience, we, parents, have the tendency to think that we always know what’s best for our kids. This, however, may not be true all the time since some of us may be guilty of forcing our kids to doing things which may seem harmless but isn’t really ideal in the long run.

In an article published by The Asian Parent, we learn that there are at least 6 things we should never force our children to do. According to experts, forcing kids can be very ineffective and may eventually backfire.

Read on, parents, and do share your thoughts with us about these 6 things:

#1. Do not force your kids to hug or kiss relatives.

As a recent viral meme by A Might Girl tells us, we shouldn’t force children to express affection towards strangers or even relatives. Doing so can make them very vulnerable to sexual abuse so it’s really risky. Parents really need to teach children about consent and the sacred nature of their physical bodies.

#2. Do not force your child to say sorry.

There are instances when we think forcing a child to apologize is good – it actually isn’t. Do not insist it especially if they’re not quite ready to say sorry. Instead, it is more advisable to talk with them about the problem. Help them recognize their mistake and ask them for ideas about how to make things right. This could be great opportunities for you to teach them lifelong lessons.

#3. Do not force your child to read.

Reading should always be done for pleasure not for anything else. If you force them to do it, then takes the joy out of the experience and will not be worth after all. If your son or daughter shows a lack of interest, the better way is to spend time reading to him or her aloud each day. Pick books with topics that your child likes (i.e. robots, dinosaurs, princesses) and you’ll likely see a more positive response.

#4. Do not force your child into extracurricular activities that he/she doesn’t like.

While it’s always fascinating to see our kids develop new skills and talents, it absolutely makes no sense pushing them into learning something they don’t even like in the first place. Wait for your child to express curiosity about something and if he or she is ready, then take that as your cue.

#5. Do not force your child to eat some food.

Studies tell us that force-feeding leads to negative long-term effects. Kids who are often threatened to finish their food feel “loss of control and helplessness” plus they “tend to develop food aversions.” Do your best to develop a healthy eating habit so your child will be inspired to follow your example.

#6. Do not force your child to share with others.

Sure, we want our kids to grow up unselfish but forcing them to share, their toys or food, for instance, may not be a good idea. As the Asian Parent article tells us, doing that “may lead to a feeling of entitlement in the recipient and shame the one playing with the toy.” No wonder, many international schools are now implementing a no-share policy to encourage children to learn about delayed gratification.