8 Reasons Why I Want My Daughter To Talk Back
Let the kid speak.
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What controversial advice have people given to their children?
I let my daughter talk back. In fact, I encourage her to talk back.I believe there are great advantages in doing so. These are some valuable lessons that I think my daughter can learn from being encouraged to talk back.
Disagree Respectfully
She learns to express her disagreement without using any insult or attack. Just calmly and respectfully state her objection.
Respect Others
Because I respect her and her opinion, she learns to respect me! She’s never been intentionally disrespectful to us. Even when she sometimes displays seemingly disrespectful behavior, that’s because she doesn’t know that is disrespectful (she’s 4-years-old). I just need to point this out to her and she won’t do it again.
Be Assertive
It is important for kids to learn to be assertive, but even more so for a female to learn this and not be afraid to speak up.
Think Critically
If she has good reasons, I can change my mind about my decision, too. If not, I tell her why. She learns to think about an issue from multiple angles. And for me, hearing her side of the story also allows me to understand things from her perspective and things that I may have forgotten to consider.
Think Creatively
When she knows my reasons, I encourage her to come up with a solution that will make both of us happy. She becomes so creative that it can happen more than you think.
Communicate, Debate And Negotiate
Self-explanatory, I hope.
Regulate Emotion
Anger usually results when people, kids or adults, feel that something is wrong or unfair. Letting her think through the reasons helps her understand why I say or do certain things. With understanding, she learns to think about a problem instead of le tting her emotion run the show.
Understand That Authority Isn’t Always Right
Parents are not omnipotent. I make mistakes, too. Just tell me and I can apologize or reverse my decision. I teach her not to accept something just because a certain person says it. I encourage her to use her own intelligence to judge.
Basically, be a leader, not a blind follower of parents’ commands.
But this doesn’t mean that I’m permissive. I usually have pretty good reasons for what I say or do, too, and I stand my ground when it’s the case (again, teach assertiveness by being assertive and having good reasons!)
One reason we have great relationship is because I’ve always treated her as an equal and rational human being. Of course, I don’t know whether this will last. Maybe in the future, she will come up with something I absolutely hate but cannot refuse. Ask me again when she’s a teenager.
Pamelia Li is the author of Turning Tantrums Into Triumphs. Check out her website rookieparenting.com. You can read more from Quora here:
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