Skip to main content

Consistency - “Be as consistent as possible regardless of your mood.”

 Consistency

Your child needs to know that no matter what happens, you are always going to be a consistent parent.  Maintaining consistency means that you are going to be patient, connected, adaptable, and edutaining with your child all the time so your child knows what to expect from you and you know what to expect from them. Here are some pointers on parental consistency:   

·         Do not sway in how you react to your child day to day, even if your child makes mistakes or has a temper tantrum.  Instead, strive for a consistent approach in your parenting and especially in how you react to and resolve these types of situations.      

 

·         Be Predictable.  An inconsistent parent may yell at their child one day for a particular behavior, but the next day react with patience and use a similar situation as a teaching moment.  This only creates confusion for your child’s expectations. 

 

·         Don’t let your moods interfere. My mother was very inconsistent because of her moods.  If I wanted to ask her a question, I knew not to ask when she was on the couch with a migraine, but when she was busy baking, I knew that it was a good time to ask.  I had to assess her mood before approaching her because she was very inconsistent in her moods and her parenting.   

 

·         Let your child know that they can rely on you.  By being consistent, they will always know what to expect from you and that they can rely on you to help, teach, and motivate them.    

 

·         Don’t be a Lawnmower Parent.  This is the type of parent who cuts a path or “lawn” for their child by finishing everything for them such as finishing their child’s homework for them or resolving all their mistakes for them. In the end, their child never learns how to resolve their own issues or mistakes.  While this is a “consistent” approach, it is not a healthy one.  A better consistent approach is to let your child know that you will always strive to be connected, fair, attentive, patient and adaptable with them.       

When you think about consistency, ask yourself how you typically react in different situations with your child.  Do you lose it when you’re in a bad mood, or do you keep your cool? Be as consistent and reliable as possible with your child as you can, regardless of your mood, and they will learn to be consistent and reliable with you, too.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Warrior Guardians: Consistency: Aligning Values On and Off the Mat

  Consistency: Aligning Values On and Off the Mat   In the world of martial arts parenting, consistency is a fundamental principle that underpins the journey of personal growth and character development. By upholding consistent expectations, messaging, and values across both the dojo and home environments, we create a seamless foundation that instills the martial arts way of life into the very fabric of our children's beings. The Importance of Consistency in Martial Arts The martial arts are not merely a physical discipline; they are a comprehensive philosophy that encompasses values such as respect, discipline, perseverance, and integrity. These values, when consistently reinforced and embodied, become ingrained in our children's characters, shaping their attitudes, behaviors, and decision-making processes.   By maintaining consistency in our approach, we ensure that the lessons learned on the mat are not confined to the dojo walls but rather permeate every asp...

Martial Arts for Blood Sugar Control: The Role of HIIT in Glucose Regulation

  Martial Arts for Blood Sugar Control: The Role of HIIT in Glucose Regulation In today’s world, managing blood sugar levels is a critical aspect of maintaining long-term health, especially as we age. Uncontrolled blood sugar can lead to a host of issues, including insulin resistance, prediabetes, and type 2 diabetes. While diet plays a crucial role in blood sugar management, physical activity is equally essential. One of the most effective forms of exercise for improving insulin sensitivity and glucose regulation is high-intensity interval training (HIIT) . Interestingly, many martial arts disciplines inherently incorporate HIIT principles into their training, making them an excellent tool for blood sugar control. In this post, we will explore the science behind blood sugar control, how martial arts mimic HIIT, and why martial arts training can be a highly effective way to regulate blood sugar and improve overall metabolic health. Understanding Blood Sugar Control and Insulin Sens...

Decoding Your Child's Behavior: Part 2: Decoding the Language of the Nervous System: Red, Blue, and Green Pathways

  Blog Series Title: Decoding Your Child's Behavior: A Compassionate Approach to Raising Thriving Kids Part 2: Decoding the Language of the Nervous System: Red, Blue, and Green Pathways Introduction: In Part 1 of our series, we learned that challenging behaviors are often a sign of a child who is struggling, not a child who is trying to be difficult. We explored the "iceberg model," recognizing that the behavior we see is just the tip, with a whole world of emotions, sensations, and unmet needs hidden beneath the surface. We also discussed the concept of the "body budget" and how stress can deplete a child's resources, making it harder for them to regulate their emotions and behaviors. Now, in Part 2, we're going to dive deeper into the fascinating workings of the nervous system. Understanding how your child's nervous system operates is key to understanding their behavior. We'll be exploring Dr. Mona Delahooke's framework of the three pathw...