Common complaints against children: Give up too easily; get bored quickly; are adamant and stubborn; lack of inner discipline; live in their imaginary world; throw temper tantrum to get what they want; have more power than they deserve; always stay online and play games.
Children deal with their daily challenges in the only way they know best. Emotional maturity develops gradually and, in the interim, depending on the context and situation children display varying emotional reactions. This unpredictability can feel exhausting and challenging to manage. Often it also makes parents feel that their role is being challenged. They expect children to behave in a way that gives them the freedom to parent effectively. Inability to do that is frustrating and leads to questioning the sense of entitlement they display. But it’s just the child’s way to say pay attention to me and what I’m asking for. They aren’t capable of self-reflection so lack the understanding of why their behaviour is being termed wrong.
The article was first published in The Daily Guardian on 29 March 2021
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