Reply to Giving up on Gentle Parenting

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]And what if you don’t have anyone to give you a break? Like millions of parents?

It’s not my situation but it’s the reality for many. I’d say it’s the norm.

So we can do this exhausting dance of parenting or we can the time out. Timeout all the way. [/quote]

Yes, and this is why a lot of parents hit their kids or scream at them to get them to comply with behavioral expectations. Because they are stretched too thin, have no support, and have no idea what else to do.

Also I don't know where you guys are getting that time outs are against gentle parenting. Gentle parenting would frown on yelling at a kid "go to your room!" after misbehavior. But a parent saying "okay I can see you are struggling not to hit right now, I'm going to put you in your room where you can't hurt anyone until you are ready to stop hitting" would be in line with gentle parenting.[/quote]

Fewer words work better for kids than more.  All that blather is ineffective.[/quote]

the “blather” is actually the core of the philosophy. they believe that a set of magical words (that must be said with the correct emotion) will teach the child. [/quote]

This is incorrect, and it's how I know you don't understand the approach.

The biggest thing I learned about gentle parenting with my toddler is the concept of "co-regulation" in which kids learn how to regulate their emotions by being in tune with a parent who knows how to regulate their emotions. So the specific words you say are actually not that important. The important thing is projecting calm and helping kids to see that having a big emotion, failing at something, getting frustrated, etc., are all things you can do without melting down. And the learn this by watching their parents calmly accept these things with mature, regulated emotion.

It's the same with time outs. It's not that it's wrong to have a kid take a break, or to restrict a kid's space or movement until they can stop yelling/hitting/throwing. It's that HOW you do it matters. You can use timeouts while also doing gentle parenting. But not if you are issuing timeouts by screaming at kids, matching their upset with your own big, out of control emotions.

Gentle parenting is all about regulating your own emotions so that kids learn to regulate theirs. My toddler is now an upper elementary kid and can confidently say the approach works -- my kid is mature, a good communicator, can deal with negative emotions without engaging in aggressive or counterproductive behavior. It might not work for all kids but it worked for mine.[/quote]

Right, it’s a parenting method that depends on a woman controlling her own emotions and expressing them only in a specifically approved way. So regressive![/quote]

That basically sums up how I feel about it. It's hell for parents. I think it's not helpful for kids to see their moms who are basically dead behind the eyes and emotionless. I have wanted to be more like Michelle Duggar who doesn't seem to care at all that kids are running amuck, but I just can't raise my kids in a barn.

I just firmly believe in authoritative parenting. Firm boundaries and within those there's love and fun. We don't spank, but I also tell my kids no. I watch Dr. Becky all the time. We can't redirect our kids away from things like jumping on couches. IMO that requires discipline. My good friend gentle parents and when her kids jump on my couch, she just laughs, shrugs and says "oh we don't believe in having nice furniture." As if it's my fault for having a tempting couch. Gentle parenting does work for probably half the kids out there, but the wild kids? Yeah they need more than gentle parenting. They obviously aren't learning not to jump on a couch from osmosis. Maybe a 1 year old needs redirected, but even a 2 year old knows not to jump on a couch after being told no. 
[/quote]

Another person who doesn't understand gentle parenting. [/quote]

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