Boundaries are more important than you may realize. Here’s how to establish limits that will help your children succeed.
We love our kids, but parenting them is a complex and often confusing task!
To simplify things, it’s helpful to understand that we can reduce the job of parenting to one guiding principle: to equip our children to meet the demands of reality.
One day your children will need to face reality and handle it without your guidance. On their own, they will need to make mature choices, find relationships to support their growth; set their core values and morals, and craft their passions and career.
In other words, parenting is designed to take a small person, who is helpless and dependent, and over time, produce an independent, responsible adult who can make great choices and decisions. One of the most valuable tools you can use to help your kids develop, no matter what age they are, is that of healthy limits, also called boundaries. Research shows that children who experience a household of clear and appropriate boundaries, delivered with love and warmth, are much better equipped to meet the demands of reality over their lifespan. Why is this important and how do we set boundaries?
This article “Why Kids need Rules” by Marianne Neifert, M.d. provides some guidelines to establishing important boundaries.