Spoiler: The truth about positive parenting is that it’s not about hippy, dippy parents raising spoiled “special snowflakes.”
Positive parenting has gotten a bad rap. Maybe because it conjures an image of parents walking around with a permanent smile pasted on their face, shielding their kids from the realities of the world, refusing to say “no” to their children, and indulging their every whim out of fear of upsetting them.
But here’s the truth – that’s NOT what positive parenting is about.
On the spectrum of parenting philosophies, positive parenting (aka authoritative) is smack-dab in the middle between “do as I say or else” authoritarian parenting and “do whatever you want” permissive parenting. Positive parenting is kind AND firm. It’s not about being positive and happy all the time, but rather acknowledging the challenges your children face and responding in ways that are respectful and helpful.
So what exactly IS positive parenting? And how DOES it work?