Part of parenting respectfully is enforcing your boundaries without shouting. Remember our kids learn EVERYTHING from us so if they see us try to get our way with shouting, they will absolutely use the same strategy!

No parent is perfect. Being kind and calm all the time is STRENUOUS because kids can be so triggering. But holding your boundary firmly and physically without getting angry and shouting really helps for the future too.

I say this because shouting is threatening, right?! Historically parents have used loud voices and sharp tones to signal “if you don’t do what I say, something bad is going to happen”. But often we care too much to do anything bad to our children. So they start to learn that big voices don’t mean all that much. Even worse, they might wait for the big voice as the final straw. When they get older, they might not respond to this at all.

So anyway - go well and try your best to remember this in times when your toddler is pushing all of your buttons! Remember, their brains are underdeveloped. They’re babies still. They’re meant to be testing, misbehaving, playing with the limits. All behaviour is communication of a feeling or a need not being met, and we need to remember to show love and compassion when they’re at their worst as well as when they’re at their best. They need to know we love them regardless.

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