Monday, September 14, 2009

When a parent "I love you" means "do as I say"

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/15/health/15mind.html?ref=health

This was an interesting article about the top of "conditional" vs "unconditional" parenting.

Conditional parenting is when a parent scolds a child or withholds "love" from the child when they misbehave, or do poorly in school. In unconditional parenting, the parent will address what the child did wrong, but not make them feel as though they are less loved because of it.

The article said studies have shown that positive conditional parenting (praising a child more when they do well) has both positive and negative effects. The child may do what the parent wants, but often they have a feel of being controlled or motivated by an outside source, instead of feeling as though they achieved something on their own. Negative conditional parenting has shown no positives and only increases children's dislike of their parents.

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