Parenting Tips
contributed by Teacher Philipp
How to set boundaries as a parent or teacher
This topic is a huge part of education and countless books have been written about it. The following words do not intend to cover the topic in its entirety but rather to share some quick practical ideas.
Our children need boundaries to learn from us, to understand the big unknown world around them, and to feel safe. Boundaries, limits, and consequences are guidelines for children. They are almost like a manual for them to understand how to cope with the world and the people around them. This makes consequences and boundaries an essential and healthy part of education.
Fortunately, each child is different and consequently each one seeks and needs different individual boundaries. As a result, there is no such thing as a „general manual of boundaries,“ which could be applied to every individual child all the time.
Nevertheless, there are some general ideas about how to set and hold boundaries:
1. Be aware of the difference between punishment and consequence
2. Try to understand the behavior of your child and the true needs behind it
3. Implementing a boundary through problem solving / play / active listening
4. Choose your battles wisely
5. Aks yourself who is owning the problem? Does your child or you have the need for a boundary?
6. Not too many reminders for the implemented boundary
7. Respond right away if you want to set a boundary
8. Communicate the boundary by using simple words and being on the eye-level of your child
9. Once you set a boundary you want to stick to it and hold it
10. Flexibility when implementing a boundary
In conclusion, when setting boundaries in an appropriate way, we help our children navigate the world and feel safe while doing so.