11 Tips to Exercise Parental Authority with Love

It's important for parents to exercise authority while guiding and educating their children. However, children should always receive love in the process. Kids need to follow rules in order to be happy.
11 Tips to Exercise Parental Authority with Love

Last update: 01 January, 2021

Just like ships need their captain, children need their parents to guide them with love. However, they should never forget who controls the rudder. This is why it’s important to exercise parental authority with love. Otherwise, kids will try to control the situation, and that can be complicated.

As mentioned before, parents should teach their children to follow certain rules in a loving way. As a result, parents will provide their children with a complete education. Since we’re all concerned about the way we raise our children, we have to bear in mind that the best way to do it is with love.

Parental authority with love – the best way to educate your children

Sometimes, parents take a while to realize they’re losing control in their children’s education. And, it may seem difficult to get back on track, but it’s not impossible. The best way to do it is to exercise parental authority with love. Plus, it’s very important to be patient and willing to do it. In fact, this could be the actual key to educate your children properly.

11 Tips to Exercise Parental Authority with Love

If children grow up with no limits or rules to follow, they’ll be insecure and they’ll have low self esteem. Besides, this may lead them to act inadequately and to cause damage to themselves and to others. On the contrary, if we educate our children firmly but gently, they’ll become confident enough to identify their own abilities, weaknesses and strengths.

To exercise authority with love, we need to trust ourselves and create an action plan. Therefore, we’ll give you some tips to help you do it. Don’t miss them!

Tips to exercise parental authority with love

If we exercise parental authority with love, we’ll raise happy children. And, if you aren’t doing it yet, don’t worry! You can start tomorrow. The important thing is to make an effort to educate them properly. Next, we’ll give you some tips.

Trust yourself

Trusting yourself and talking to your children firmly and with confidence will improve the way you educate them. If you decide to do this, you have to be firm and don’t hesitate. Furthermore, whenever you face a problem, try to find the solution.

If you haven’t started yet, create an action plan

What are the aspects you would like to change in your children? It could be really helpful to try to find different alternatives and options to work on the behaviors you’d like to change in them.

Think of family activities to exercise authority with love

You can also find activities to connect with your children. Do fun things that make you happy together. It makes children very happy to have fun with their parents.

Relax a little when you see they’re actually changing

It’s very important to congratulate your children and let them know you trust them.

Don’t follow the law of the jungle to exercise authority with love

It’s not necessary to prove your power over them. Instead, you should try to come to agreements and negotiate, so you all feel you’re winning.

Whenever you set limits, explain why you do it

Always make them see the positive side of the limits you’re setting.

Whenever you make a decision, don’t change it

If your children misbehave and you make a decision regarding consequences of their act, as much as they insist, don’t change your mind.

More tips to exercise parental authority with love

11 Tips to Exercise Parental Authority with Love

Always exercise authority

Even if you’ve had the worst day, you can’t stop exercising parental authority over your children.

Find balance between authority and tolerance

Every family needs to find their balance. Let’s get to it!

If you make a promise, keep it

If you promise something to your children, keep that promise. Because, if you don’t do it, your children will feel you’re not being fair and it won’t be positive for your relationship with them.

Don’t lecture them; active communication is much better

Kids don’t usually appreciate when their parents give them a telling off. Therefore, you should try to talk to them and make them understand your point of view.

“Educating the mind without educating the heart is no education at all.”

– Aristoteles –

Now, you know that it’s not that difficult to exercise parental authority with love. In fact, if you follow these tips, you’ll find it quite easy.

We all want our children to behave well and be happy. If we’re firm but gentle, patient and loving, we won’t have many problems raising our kids.

Finally, remember that it’s never too late to take control of the situation. So, if you think you’re failing at something, change your direction and create an action plan. You can do it!


All cited sources were thoroughly reviewed by our team to ensure their quality, reliability, currency, and validity. The bibliography of this article was considered reliable and of academic or scientific accuracy.


  • Ballenato, G. (2007). Educar sin gritar: padres e hijos: ¿Convivencia o supervivencia? La esfera de los libros.
  • Martín, I. E., & Caldera, M. I. F. (2013). La familia como herramienta para educar desde la autoridad y no desde el autoritarismo. La capacidad de elegir. International Journal of Developmental and Educational Psychology, 1(1), 151-156.
  • Izquierdo, C. (2007). La autoridad hoy, un reto para los padres. Izquierdo, Ciriaco. 1a. Editorial San Pablo.

This text is provided for informational purposes only and does not replace consultation with a professional. If in doubt, consult your specialist.