Things You Should Never Forbid Your Children from Doing
All parents want to raise their children in the best possible way. But, sometimes, when you forbid your children from doing certain things, it might actually be harming them – unintentionally and unconsciously, of course.
A tendency that parents have is to forbid their children from doing certain things, as a way to protect, educate, and correct them. But these prohibitions sometimes restrict their freedom as individuals and impair the development of their personality, self-knowledge, confidence, and even their autonomy.
If you want to know what you should never forbid your children from doing, keep reading.
Boundaries and rules, yes. Excessive forbidding, no.
We all agree that rules and boundaries are very necessary for children. It helps them relate to others and their environment in a healthy way. Also, it’s important for their personal safety and well-being.
But what you should never do is forbid your children from doing certain things. Some examples are yelling, running, jumping, asking, crying and, sometimes, even getting dirty! Here’s a list of things that you should never forbid your children from doing.
Things you should never forbid your children from doing
Playing like a child
If you remember moments from your childhood, surely, many of them are of you playing with mud, jumping in a puddle of water, exploring in search of treasures… So why not allow your child to jump in puddles, get dirty, and explore? You can take care of the stains later, and you can always sew a pair of pants.
The only thing you have to make sure of is that they play in a safe environment. In fact, if you want to have a good time as well, why don’t you play with them, even if you end up dirty? Bring out your most childish side with your children!
Asking questions is one of the things you should never forbid your children from doing
Sometimes, your children’s continuous questions may overwhelm you. However, you have to understand that they don’t do it to annoy you but to find answers to their concerns. They need to understand the world.
So, instead of saying “Stop asking so many questions” or “Don’t ask me that”, look for the answer together in a book, in an atlas, or by any means that can help you answer your child’s questions.
“Education is not the answer to the question. Education is the means to the answer to all questions.”
– William Allin –
Never forbid your children from expressing themselves
You shouldn’t forbid your child from expressing themselves, neither in your home nor outside it. It’s happened to many parents: their children have said something inconvenient in front of relatives or acquaintances. Therefore, they strongly forbid them from speaking in front of adults.
But, if you take away your child’s right to express themselves, in the future, they’ll become a person who doesn’t express their thoughts, emotions, or ideas.
Instead, the right thing is to teach them values such as respect and consideration for others and that, sometimes, they can hurt other people with their words. Always accept their opinions, just like anyone else’s.
Crying
If you forbid your child from crying, you’re not allowing them to express their emotions, and just as they laugh when they’re happy, it’s totally normal for them to cry when they feel sad. Don’t use phrases like “Stop crying” or “Only babies cry.” Instead, ask them what’s wrong so that they can express their feelings and develop their emotional intelligence.
Being possessive with their things
Why do you have to force your children to share everything, anytime and anywhere? Their things are theirs. Although you have to teach them the value of being generous and the importance of sharing, never force them to do so.
In fact, you shouldn’t take away their toy to give it to another child because, in the end, they’re not sharing. Instead, you’re teaching them that, when they want something, they can take it away from someone else.
Never forbid your children from being children
Children run, scream, jump, and laugh loudly; they make a lot of noise. They have tantrums, disobey, and make mischief. In short, they have a lot of energy, explore, discover, make mistakes, and get dirty… This is obvious because they’re children, not plants!
Therefore, you can’t force them to be silent and stay still for an hour while you go to any place with them. Children are naturally energetic and in constant movement.
We hope you enjoyed this article on the things you should never forbid your children from doing. Children are children, and you can’t forbid them from being the way they are. Remember that you were a child once too! These prohibitions, in the end, end up affecting their behavior, freedom, confidence, personality, and autonomy.