With parenting, there’s always a new trend to hop on. A new way to discipline your kids, educate your kids, feed your kids, and the list goes on.
While some trends are helpful parenting hacks, some are downright absurd. They may cause harm to your kid or lead to major character problems. Here are some trends people refuse to support.
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1. Allowing Children to Have a Political Opinion
Politics is no place for children. A teacher said they had a 5th grader churning out hate speech based on political opinions. The kid had no idea what he was talking about.
This problem goes further than political matters; kids often clash due to varying opinions. Whenever they need to work in teams, the breakdowns are insane. The teacher needs to include regular breaks in the lesson plan since the idea of varying opinions is crippling to some children.
2. Having a Peaceful Home Situation
It’s great to have peace, but that’s not the reality of life. A contributor shared that they were never allowed to fight in their home when growing up.
Their mom shut down any form of confrontation immediately. Due to this, they experience trouble standing up for themselves. Arguing and learning how to support your opinions is essential to development.
3. Being Plate Pushers
Several users said they always had to finish all the food on their plates growing up. One admits that as an adult, they can barely eat a full plate, so it’s ridiculous that we expect kids to finish their food. Kids should eat enough to make them full.
4. Using Kids for YouTube Views
The internet is a scary place for children. A parent recounted how one YouTube creator posted horrible videos that messed with their kids. They would scream at their kids in their videos and spin the situation to look like a prank for views. Luckily, they lost custody of the kids, and YouTube banned their channel.
5. Fostering Learned Helplessness
Several answers covered the sad fact that some parents coddle their kids, making them incapable of doing things independently. Some parents want to feel needed, so they always swoop in to save their kids.
6. Always Taking the Kid’s Side
Another shared that their wife is a teacher and has had to deal with difficult parents. They often believe that the teachers are picking on their kids and believe their kid’s opinions over an objective third-party adult.
7. Punishing Children for Low Grades
It’s a fact that not all children are book-smart. One said disciplining your kids due to low grades only worsens a bad situation. You’re adding on the pressure and may cause your kid to develop anxiety, stress, and low esteem.
8. Praising Your Kid’s Talent
Numerous contributors shared that focusing on talent neglects the value of hard work and determination. Your kid grows up thinking they can do anything because they have talent. It dents their self-esteem when they discover this is not the case.
9. iPad Parenting
On a busy day, it’s so easy to throw an iPad at your kids instead of interacting with them. Multiple answers agreed that moderation is key when it comes to screen time. While kids learn a lot from screens, they must also interact with the real world.
10. Always Entertaining Your Kids
Most kids do not know how to sit in boredom. Several contributors agree that kids must learn how to occupy their time. You do not need to do fun activities every chance you get. Sometimes, just let the kid figure it out.